; ad
Pte WO bes te
i
wy
deb bey
PPM YD
ny
1 ah Ty
va oe CE ie A i
pr vy Po
vate Jieveek geaeeenei
‘
Hee)
with, ahh”
Macterrieen,
oy
ete Woy yes
Fey LEA
H
H
BHT
Sided ob
Lad
hn i
ve
fad i
shes ipd
are
iat
7? ast aie
yaya geys ate
reer
re) 1
re vee aes
$A
a) Hy
eaten Dee ar
SU ee : H
SERN
Vnryss ada
re)
tA gaat
eee ee ace
TSE Han a)
rer eons ya ta)
0
: Me i Oe) 1 City “an va
Paredti tasters) eae i 1.5! 4 ty RRR Ts
Pee ne Pecks St By Tytte
pd sy
. Peer tray
fopee bse why
SN Va ye. Veter
ve tt
U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
Cover:
The Windward Viaduct is a
spectacular 1.6-kilometer
(one-mile) section of the H-3
highway, “island interstate”
on Oahu. The viaduct is sup-
ported by 23 sets of piers,
which vary from 3.7 to 48.8
meters (12 to 160 feet) in
height.
Public
Roads
Summer 1993. Vol. 57, No. 1
Public Roads—75 Years and Going Strong by Robert V. Bryant
A Close Look at Road Surfaces by Rudolph R. Hegmon
Highway, Bridge, and Transit Conditions and Performance
Adapted from the 1993 Biennial Report to Congress
H-3: The Island Interstate by Craig Sanders
A New Approach to Public-Private Cooperation in Transportation Research
by Daniel Ae Metzger
Side Impacts: The ; Highway Kets pective by Jerry A. Reagan
Along the Road
New Research
Recent Publications
Technology Applications
—— ae eee
U.S. Department of Transportation
Federico Pena, Secretary
Federal Highway Administration
Rodney E. Slater, Administrator
Office of Research and Development
John A. Clements, Associate
Administrator
“Anne N. Barsanti, Managing Editor
Robert V. Bryant, Editor
Editorial Board
J.A. Clements, E.D. Carlson, A.R. Kane,
D.C. Judycki, G.S. Moore, D.S. Gendell,
R.J. Betsold, R.J. Kreklau
Notice
The United States Government does not
endorse products or manufacturers. Trade
or mz a iecoarere names appear herein
solely because they are considered essen-
tial to the object of an article.
_ Public Roads (ISSN 0033-3735; USPS 516-690) is published quarterly by
_ the Office of Research and Development, Federal Highway Administration
| (FHWA), 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20590. Second class
| postage paid at Washington, DC, and additional mailing offices.
| POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Public Roads, HRD-10, FHWA,
| 6300 Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA 22101-2290.
| Public Roads, is sold by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S.
| Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, for $7.50 per year
| ($1.90 additional for foreign mailing) or $2.50 per single copy ($0.63
additional for foreign mailing). Check or money order should be made
| payable and sent directly to New Orders, Superintendent of Documents,
| P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954. Subscriptions are avail-
_ able for one-year periods.
_ The Secretary of Transportation has determined that the publication of
| this periodical is necessary in the transaction of the public business
required by law of this Department.
_ All articles are advisory or informational in nature and should not be
_ construed as having regulatory effect.
| Articles written by private individuals contain the personal views of the
_ author and do not necessarily reflect those of FHWA.
_ All photographs are provided by FHWA unless otherwise credited.
| Contents of this publication may be reprinted. Mention of source
_ is requested.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE G35.
eo ISSUED BY Ge.
F PUBLIG ROADS AND RURALENG
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993
PUBLIC
A JOURNAL OF HIGHWAY RESEARC
y UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF lunireD STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
A: BUREAU OF PUBUC ROADS
3 v MA
GHAVEL ROAD AT ARLINGTON EXPERIMENTAL STATION
try. The magazine has a limited
free mailing list to universities
and government Officials. It is
anticipated that subscriptions will
increase with the expansion of
the scope and audience.
A major part of the new scope
is the transition to a transporta-
tion system that is more fully
integrated to meet the more
complex needs of society. This
transitioning transportation sys-
tem has three operational
requirements. Highways must
be integrated into a complete
transportation network that
includes railways, airports,
waterways, etc. Social factors
such as environmental quality
and traffic congestion must be
taken into account in new pro-
jects. FHWA must work much
more closely with state and local
governments to plan the overall
impact of new highway projects.
The magazine will also
emphasize the commitment of
FHWA to continue to be a world
leader in promoting highway
research and technology transfer.
Being involved at the cutting
edge of new technology and new
developments is old business for
Public Roads. Public Roads was
the original publisher of many
landmark papers in highway
research. A paper published in
Page 2
Over the years Public Roads
has been a part of the
Department of Agriculture,
VOL. 44, NO. 8 JUNE 1967
= Department of Commerce, and
Te) iY IS Department of Transportation. Dy i¢ Oa \\
‘Aco,
JOURNAL OF HIGHWAY RESEARCH
== Public Roads ‘ce
PUBLISHED
BIMONTHLY BY THE
QUREAU OF
PUBLIC ROADS,
U, S. DEPARTMENT
OF COMMERCE,
WASHINGTON
‘Thowas Creck Bridge eu the Oregon Coast Highway, US. 101, Curry Connty in Suatheen Orcyea-
the May 1929 issue,
“Interrelationship of Load,
Road and Subgrade” by C.
Hogentogler and C. Terzaghi,
“laid the foundations of subgrade
soil classification and marked a
turning point in studies of sub-
grade soils.” (2) During the
1920s, 30s, and 40s, highway
researchers were constantly mak-
ing new discoveries and invent-
ing new instruments to measure
what had never been measured
before. Information about many
of these new instruments—for
example, the Goldbeck Pressure
Cell for measuring pressures
under pavement, the electric eye
and road tube traffic counters,
the Benkelman Beam for mea-
suring minute deflections in
pavements under load—“first
reached the scientific world
through the pages of Public
Roads.” (2)
The following account of the
history of Public Roads, which
made its debut in May 1918, is
taken from America’s Highways
1776-1970: A History of the
Federal-aid Program.
“(Public Roads) provided the
State highway officials with a
welcome forum for the discus-
sion of current problems. The
first issue brought the industry
up-to-date by summarizing motor
vehicle licensing laws and fees
for registration and operators’
licenses. This wartime issue
also urged highway builders to
conserve scarce fuel by proper
attention to the firing of boil-
ers and the careful use of
steam in road machines and in
quarrying. An entire issue June
1918) was devoted to the cata-
strophic road breakups caused
by heavy trucking during the
1918 spring thaw. The May 1919
issue dealt with the social and
economic benefits of using con-
vict labor on the public roads.
When the Government distrib-
uted the huge surpluses of mili-
tary equipment to the States,
Public Roads ran articles on how
to take care of the equipment
and convert it to civilian high-
way use.
“Public Roads published the
resolutions adopted by the
American Association of State
Highway Officials (AASHO) at its
annual meetings of December
1918, 1919, and 1920, and also
the papers read at those conven-
tions. In effect, its was the offi-
cial journal of AASHO until that
organization launched its own
publication, American Highways,
iy F922:
“Within a year of its first
issue, Public Roads was an
important voice of the young
highway industry, with a long
waiting list of would-be-sub-
scribers. In fiscal year 1920, the
authorized monthly circulation
was raised to 4,500 copies, but
hundreds of requests for the
magazine had to be refused.
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER e 1993
Budgetary cuts reduced the cir-
culation to 4,000 copies per
month for fiscal year 1921, and,
without explanation, publication
was suspended altogether after
tnesecempber 1921 issue. The
suspension drew an immediate
protest from the American Road
Builders’ Association, AASHO,
and other organizations interest-
ed in roads and also ‘... many
expressions of regret not only
from its engineer subscribers,
but also from the non-technical
administrative heads of county
highway activities to whom it
had been helpful. Not the least
gratifying of such expressions
were those which came entirely
without solicitation from the edi-
tors of other technical engineer-
ing journals.’ (3)
“Public Roads resumed publi-
cation in March 1924, with the
return of better times. However,
the magazine was no longer a
forum for the administrative and
technical problems of the States,
this function having been
assumed by American Highways
after Public Roads ceased publi-
cation. Instead, the new Public
Roads was exclusively a house
research journal...
“Publication has continued
without interruption from March
1924 down to the present,
although the frequency of issues
VOL. 16,NO.12
(_A JOURNAL OF HIGHWi AY RESEARCH
Fay (iree sere cera or sence © STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE oNeD stares CeparTMeNT oF AeRtoUTURE|
BUREAU OF PUBLIC ROADS:
FEBRUARY ~—
has varied widely. Through the
years, Public Roads again expand-
ed to include articles on highway
research and development from
sources Outside of the Bureau of
Public Roads. Throughout its
long history, Public Roads has
maintained a high standard of sci-
entific accuracy and literary clarity
and, taken as a whole, is a
remarkable chronology of the
development of highway engi-
neering and economics in the
motor age.” (2)
Public Roads has been
redesigned and rejuvenated to
become a magazine more in tune
with a new era and the needs of
FHWA—the Public Roads of the
21st century. So, this birthday is
a celebration of the strength of
tradition and the dynamics of
changing times.
References
(1) Logan Waller Page.
“Salutatory,” Public Roads, Vol. 1,
No. 1, May 1918.
(2) America’s Highways 1776-
1976: A History of the Federal-aid
Program, Federal Highway
Administration, Washington, D.C.,
1976.
(3) Bureau of Public Roads
Annual Report, Bureau of Public
Roads, Washington, D.C., 1922.
The past issues of Public Roads are a
PERFORMING THE SO}L COMPRESSION TEST
Vor Sole ty the Suiperietentennt of Deummnents, Weshingten, © G = = = = ©
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993
chronicle of highway research.
See page 2 at ewer Her peters
VOL. 24, NO. 10
Robert V. Bryant has been the
editor of Public Roads since
September 1992. He works for
Walcoff and Associates as the pro-
ject manager of an editorial sup-
port team in the Federal Highway
Administration’s Office of
Research and Development
Operations and Support. For the
preceding 22 years, he was an
U.S. Army infantry and public
affairs officer. His last military
assignments were at the Pentagon
as acting chief of Army Command
(internal) Information and as edi-
tor-in-chief of Soldiers, the Army’s
official magazine.
PUBL
A JOURNAL. OF HIGHWAY RESEARCH
FEDERAL WORKS AGENCY
PUBLIC ROADS ADMINISTRATION
OCTORER-NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1346
LAYING COTTON FAQRIC ON AN EXPERIMENTAL HOAD
A JOURNAL OF HIGHWAY RESEARCH
N |UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ren staTes denver MENT or aoricurTune| @@)
/ ite stares Bema MENT Ge ores
A JOURNAL OF HIGHWAY RESEARCH
Foe (ate Wy ine Stpertatamdeet af Onrwementi. US Covetnmin Fiiating Omer Washington 15, B.C:
FEDERAL WORKS AGENCY
« PUBLIC ROADS ADMINISTRATION
JANUARY-FEBRUARY-MARCH 1946
ROAD SURFACES
Introduction
To most people, including the
majority of readers of Public Roads,
road surfaces are just gray areas
stretching for miles and miles. Road
surfaces are expected to provide safe
driving conditions in dry and wet
weather, provide a smooth and quiet
ride all the time, minimize splash and
spray during rain, provide good visi-
bility under adverse conditions, and
have a long service life.
A close look at the surface
reveals many features including tex-
ture, which is needed to provide
skid resistance, reduce splash and
spray in heavy rain, and reduce
headlight glare in night driving. But
texture may increase noise and
reduce the life of both pavement
and tire. Further, as roads age and
deteriorate from the effect of heavy
truck traffic and weather, signs of
distress appear. Road roughness is
one sign of distress and is detrimen-
tal to both pavement life and ride
quality. This article discusses only
road roughness, how roughness is
measured, and the effect of rough-
ness on the highway user and on
pavement life.
Effects of Roughness
Roughness causes a number of
problems to the highway user, includ-
ing poor ride quality, unsafe driving
conditions, excitation of truck dynam-
ics leading to further pavement deteri-
oration, and damage to vehicles and
cargo. The vast majority of highway
Page 4
by Rudolph R. Hegmon
users is most sensitive to ride quality;
therefore, ride quality is the primary
criterion in setting pavement rehabili-
tation priorities. Since it is not possi-
ble to build perfectly smooth pave-
ments, paving specifications usually
prescribe the maximum acceptable
roughness.
Measuring Ride Quality
Two basic approaches to measur-
ing ride quality are currently used.
One measures the effect of rough-
ness on ride quality through rating
panels or equipment correlated with
rating panels. The second approach,
called profiling, describes pavement
surfaces independent of the measur-
ing equipment.
Ride quality can be determined
by pavement serviceability ratings
(PSRs) given by panels of drivers
and passengers who ride over sec-
tions of highways in passenger
cars. The PSRs range from zero to
five; five represents a perfectly
smooth ride. Because of the
expense, rating panels are usually
limited to a relatively small num-
ber—generally about 10 to 20 peo-
ple. To ensure rating accuracy, the
panels are instructed in advance
about what to rate and what to
ignore. Studies have explored
issues of panel rating reliability and
accuracy across panels and states,
for various pavements, and over
time. In one study, a small but sig-
nificant difference was found
between the ratings of two panels
from different states in the rating of
31 pavements. (7) In another
study, no significant differences
were found in two ratings conduct-
ed five years apart. (2) A relatively
simple way to estimate ride quality
by objective means is to measure
the dynamic response of a passen-
ger car as it is driven over a pave-
ment. The Federal Highway
Administration’s predecessor, the
Bureau of Public Roads, developed
a single wheel trailer—the
roughometer—to perform this mea-
surement. Commercial ride meters,
installed in passenger cars or trail-
ers, were later introduced. (3)
Most Response Type Road
Roughness Measuring (RTRRM) sys-
tems measure the accumulated sus-
pension deflections over the length
of the test sections. The results are
expressed as the ratio between sus-
pension deflections in meters (or in
inches) and the length of the test
section in kilometers (or miles).
This roughness index of m/km or
in/mi has been in use for many
years. The International Roughness
Index (IRI), now in commom use,
has the same units of measure.
The standard IRI is derived from a
computer simulation using a set of
standard suspension parameters
and a recorded road profile to
drive the simulation. (4) The
Pavement Serviceability Index (PSI)
computed from the m/km statistics
is an estimate of PSR, the panel rat-
ing. A statistical relationship
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993
and IRI has been developed under
a current study. (5)
PSR = 5/exp(C*IRI).
The value of C is 0.226 for flexi-
ble pavements and 0.286 for rigid
and composite pavements. IRI is in
m/km. If the IRI is given in in/mi, it
must be divided by 62.6 to convert it
to m/km.
Profiling Road Surfaces
Road-surface profiling is another
means of measuring road roughness.
Road-surface profiles present a “pro-
file,” or picture, of the road described
in terms of wavelengths and ampli-
tudes.
The road surface profile is mea-
sured by road-profiling systems, or
profilers for short. Attempts to mea-
sure the pavement profile go back
to the 1920s. These early profilers,
however, lacked an independent ref-
erence, and the measurements were
therefore affected by the geometry
of the profiler.
In 1964, General Motors built a
profiler using accelerometers to
establish an inertial reference. (6)
The inertial reference is used to cor-
rect for the bounce of the survey
vehicle. This makes it possible to
measure true pavement profiles over
a wide range of roughness wave-
lengths. The recorded profile is
independent of the type of survey
vehicle and of the profiling speed.
This system is commercially avail-
able under the trade name
“Profilometer.”
Between 1974 and 1987, FHWA
built two prototypes of profiling
equipment, combining longitudinal
and transverse profiling. The first,
named SIRST (System for Inventory-
ing Road Surface Topography), used
12 infrared sensors to cover the full
lane width. (7) It was too costly to
be promoted for wide use. The sec-
ond profiler, named PRORUT
(Profile and Rut Depth Measuring
System), uses only three sensors. (8)
Two sensors measure the profile in
each of the wheel tracks; the third
sensor measures an average rut
depth. PRORUT was evaluated and
used successfully by a number of
state highway agencies. (9) The
cost for building a similar system
was estimated to be between
$100,000 and $150,000. A new,
upgraded PRORUT is now being
built in the Pavement Performance
Laboratory at the Turner-Fairbank
Highway Research Center in
McLean, VA. It is similar in layout to
the first PRORUT, but uses state-of-
the-art data aquisition and computer
equipment.
The major cost items of profiling
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993
systems are the optical non-contact
sensors used for measuring the
vertical distance to the pavement.
A profiler using ultrasonic instead
of optical sensors was built by
South Dakota. The cost of such
sensors is about 1/20 or less of the
cost of optical sensors, enabling
South Dakota to build a profiler for
less than $50,000. (170) This substi-
tution of sensors reduces the verti-
cal resolution and limits the num-
ber of samples per unit length.
However, for many applications
the performance with ultrasonic
sensors is adequate. South Dakota
offered assistance to any state
interested in building a South
Dakota-type profiler.
Currently, there are about 40
South Dakota-type systems in
operation. Because of the wide
interest and in order to promote
use of profiling instead of
response-type measurements, the
Road Profiler Users Group was
formed in 1989 and has met annu-
ally. (71) The 1993 meeting is
scheduled to be held in
Pennsylvania. For more informa-
tion, contact Gaylord
Cumberledge at (717) 787-1199.
FHWA has initiated a pooled
fund study entitled “Interpretation
of Road Roughness Profiles.” The
objective is to develop relation-
ships between longitudinal pave-
ment profiles and ride quality,
pavement performance, dynamic
loads, highway safety, and vehicle
and cargo wear. This study is
expected to show that different
ranges of the pavement profile (dif-
ferent wavelengths) are associated
with the various effects outlined in
Figure 1—Typical road surface profile.
the objective. As an example, it
was found in a recent study that
panel ratings of ride quality in pas-
senger cars correlate best with an
pavement index computed from
wavelengths between 0.5 and 2.5
m (1.6 and 8 ft) corresponding to
vibration frequencies of 10 to 50
Hz at a speed of 85 km/h (about
Bo ues GL
The pooled fund study is coordi-
nated by the University of Michigan
Transportation Research Institute.
UMTRI is responsible for develop-
ing the test program and develop-
ing the relationships mentioned
above. Some of these relationships
will be empirical, while others will
have to be developed from comput-
er simulations, using profile data as
one of the inputs. A combination
of these two, empirical and simula-
tion, will probably yield the best
relationships.
The participating state highway
agencies agreed to conduct tests and
provide the data and related infor-
mation to UMTRI. Most states are
known to operate South Dakota-
type profilers with limited resolution
and sampling rates. These limita-
tions may affect some of the
planned analyses. Some profilers
with better resolution, including
FHWA’s PRORUT, will be available
for this study when more detailed
profiles are needed.
A real road-surface profile con-
tains many wavelengths and
amplitudes. The larger amplitudes
are generally associated with
longer wavelengths. Figure 1
shows a record of a typical bitumi-
nous road surface over a distance
of 100 m (330 ft). The maximum
amplitudes here are about 50 mm
(2 in). When the long waves are
removed by filtering down to 10 m
(33 ft), the same surface looks
quite different, and the maximum
amplitudes are now about half.
(See Figure 2!)
Another way of presenting the
road profile is by the so-called spec-
trum. ( See Figure 3.) The horizon-
tal axis shows cycles per unit dis-
tance (cycles/m or cycles/ft) which
is the inverse of wavelength L. The
amplitudes corresponding to each
wavelength are plotted on the verti-
cal axis and are seen to decrease
with decreasing wavelength
(increasing spacial frequencies).
Ride quality, however, is better
discussed in terms of frequency of
vibration because humans are more
sensitive to some frequencies than
to others. Frequency is obtained by
dividing the speed of travel by the
wavelength, giving lower frequen-
cies for longer wavelengths. Car
suspensions are tuned to reduce the
vibration amplitudes at the frequen-
cies to which humans are most sen-
sitive. The two curves are similar
but are from two different roads.
The distribution of wavelengths is
about the same, but the amplitudes
of one road are greater than for the
other one. Ride quality gets worse
as the amplitudes increase.
Truck suspensions are designed
to support heavy loads and are
much stiffer than passenger car sus-
pensions. This is a compromise
between the desire to provide good
ride quality to truck drivers and car-
rying full loads without excessive
suspension deflection. This results
in larger dynamic forces damaging
the pavement, the truck, and the
cargo. Dynamic forces also lead to
momentary reductions of the wheel
Figure 2—Same surface as in Figure 1 with long waves filtered out.
Figure 3—Profile spectrum of two different road surfaces. Upper line is rougher surface.
Page 6
to pavement contact force, which
can lead to reduced traction and
loss of control.
At this time, the principal use of
the profile is to compute and report
IRI values to the Highway Perform-
ance Monitoring System. This sys-
tem is the responsibility of the
Office of Highway Information
Management. The IRI and other
information are compiled in an
annual report on the state of the
highway system. Before the wide-
spread changeover to profiling, the
IRI was derived from response-type
measurements. The IRI computed
from profiles is more reliable and
will lead to an overall improved per-
formance measurement.
Some profilers can measure rut-
ting of flexible pavement and fault-
ing of rigid pavements. Ruts are
depressions in the transverse pave-
ment profile. Some measuring sys-
tems record transverse profiles. A
profiler with the two sensors in the
rutted wheel tracks and one or more
additional sensors can measure rut
depth directly. The precision need-
ed for rut depth measurement is not
as high as for profiling, so ultrasonic
sensors are adequate.
Faults can be measured at travel
speeds from profile records, provided
the profiler is capable of a high sam-
pling rate. Figure 4 shows a profile
recorded by PRORUT at a rate of 10
samples per 0.3 m (10/ft). Faulting is
clear from this record, and the fault
steps are about 10 mm (3/8 in).
Summary
The pavement surface shows
many features. Although some are
needed for good performance, most
develop from exposure to traffic
and the elements and are manifesta-
tions of distress. Pavement distress
affects the highway user in many
ways. Ride quality is the most
obvious and is a primary factor in
pavement management decisions.
The highway engineer needs reli-
able tools to determine the condi-
tion of the highway system. Early
detection of distress can help to
take preventive actions instead of
more expensive repairs later on.
Profiling systems are very effective
in measuring road roughness at
travel speeds, and if properly
equipped can also measure rut
depth and faulting.
References
(D M.S. Janoff, J.B. Nick, and P.S. Davit.
“Pavement Roughness and Rideability,”
National Cooperative Highway Research
Program Report 275, Transportation
Research Board, Washington, D.C., 1985.
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER e 1993
|
|
.
|
|
{
(2) E.B. Spangler and W,J. Kelly. “Long-
Term Time Stability of Pavement Ride
Quality Data,” Publication No.
FHWA/OH-91/001, Ohio Department of
Transportation, Columbus, Ohio, 1990.
(3) T.D. Gillespie, M.W. Sayers, and L.
Segel. “Calibration of Response-Type
Road Roughness Measuring Systems,”
National Cooperative Highway
Research Program Report 228,
Transportation Research Board,
Washington, D.C., 1980.
(4) M.W. Sayers, T.D. Gillespie, and
W.D. Paterson. “Guidelines for
Conducting and Calibrating Road
Roughness Measurements,” World Bank
Technical Paper Number 46, World
Bank, Washington, D.C., 1986.
(5) B. al-Omari and MI. Darter.
“Relationship between IRI and Pavement
Condition,” Department of Civil
Engineering, University of Illinois,
Urbana, Illinois, 1992.
(6) E.B. Spangler and WJ. Kelley. “GMR
Road Profilometer—A Method for
Measuring Road Profile,” Highway
Research Record 121, Transportation
Research Board, Washington, D.C., 1966.
(7) J. Derwin King and Stephen A.
Cerwin. “System for Inventorying Road
Surface Topography (SIRST),”
Publication No. FHWA-RD-82-062,
Federal Highway Administration,
Washington, D.C., 1982.
(8) T.D. Gillespie, M.W. Sayers, and M.R.
Hagan. “Methodology for Road
Roughness Profiling and Rut Depth
Measurement,” Publication No. FHWA-
RD-87-042, Federal Highway
Administration,
Washington, D.C., 1987.
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993
Figure 4—Profile of rigid (portland cement) pavement, showing faulting at joints.
(9) K. Ksaibati, K. Kercher, Sedat Gulen,
and T.D. White. “The PRORUT
Evaluation in Indiana,” Transportation
Research Record 1260, Transportation
Research Board,
Washington, D.C., 1990.
(10) D.L. Huft, Debra C. Corcoran, Blair A.
Lunde, and Paul A. Orth. “Status of the
South Dakota Profilometer,” Transportation
Research Record 1117, Transportation
Research Board,
Washington, D.C., 1987.
(11) D.L. Huft, D. Bolling, and R.
McQuiston. “South Dakota Road Profiler
Users’ Group,” Report of the Meeting,
Wyoming Department of Transportation,
Cheyenne, Wyoming, 1990.
Rudolph R. Hegmon is a mechanical
engineer in the Pavement Division of
the Office of Engineering and
Highway Operations at the Federal
Highway Administration’s Turner-
Fairbank Highway Research Center.
He has worked for FHWA in the areas
of traffic safety and truck ride quality
since 1973. Dr. Hegmon currently is
working on the development of instru-
mentation for the measurement of
pavement performance. His research
responsibilities include pavement-vehi-
cle interactions and their effect on traf-
fic safety, dynamic axle loads, and ride
quality. He manages the Pavement
Performance Laboratory at TFHRC.
Page 7
This article was adapted from and summarizes the 1995 Highway,
Bridge and Transit Conditions and Performance (C&P) Report. The
C&P Report is a biennial report that provides Congress and other
decision makers with an ongoing appraisal of the current condition
and performance of the U.S. highway system.
Our nation’s productivity and
international competitiveness
depends on fast and reliable trans-
portation. As we move toward
the 21st century, the status of our
highways, bridges, and transit is of
paramount importance to the vital-
ity of our economy.
Americans travel roads and
highways more often than any
other mode of transportation.
Highways provide the United
States with an efficient network
for moving people and goods.
More than 90 percent of all travel-
ers and 75 percent of the value of
all goods and services are con-
veyed on highways. Growth in
productivity in virtually every sec-
tor of the nation’s economy
depends upon adequate trans-
portation.
The C&P Report covers all of
the nation’s roads and bridges,
including all public-use highway
and bridge infrastructure and all
privately owned toll facilities.
Among other subjects, the report
provides assessments of system
characteristics, trends, highway
investment, and investment levels
needed to meet future demands.
The information for the report
was compiled at the end of 1991
by the states and reported to the
Federal Highway Administration
(FHWA) in summer of 1992.
FHWA assembled and analyzed
the information and prepared the
report. The report was presented
to Congress on January 15, 1993.
Prior to this CGP Report, high-
way/bridge analyses and transit
analyses were submitted as sepa-
rate reports. Because of the com-
plementary nature of these modes
of transportation, discussions of
highways and transit have been
merged. Future reports will build
upon this merger, with common
data systems and analytical proce-
dures developed to support more
rigorous and consistent multi-
modal analyses of investment
options.
This C&P Report includes, for
the first time, information on envi-
ronmental impacts. This reflects
the need for surface transportation
to meet environmental goals and
standards as well as mobility goals
and standards.
Future travel forecasts used to
estimate investment requirements
were developed by the states. All
investment estimates are for the
period January 1, 1992, through
December 31, 2011, and are
expressed in 1991 dollars.
The Intermodal Surface
Transportation Efficiency Act
(ISTEA) of 1991 established a
new National Highway System
(NHS), consisting of approxi-
mately 155,000 miles (249,440
kilometers) of highways. This
designation can vary by 15
percent in either direction.
Although the states will desig-
nate the majority of NHS, the
interstate system (45,300 mi or
72,900 km), the Strategic
Highway Corridor Network
(STRAHNET)(15,000 mi or
24,140 km), major STRAHNET
connectors (2,200 mi or 3,540
km), and ISTEA-specified high-
priority corridors (4,500 mi or
Page 8
7,240 km) must be included.
NHS highways—together with
all other arterials, rural major
collectors, and urban collec-
tors—will be eligible for feder-
al aid.
Designation of the flexible
mileage portion of the NHS will
be carried out by the states in
cooperation with metropolitan
planning organizations and the
Department of Transportation;
this designation will be submit-
ted to Congress by December
18, 1993. Asa prelude to NHS
designation, states are reclassi-
fying their roads and streets to
establish an updated principal
arterial system.
NHS will be the major focus
of federal highway investments
for the future. The system is
expected to carry the bulk of
interstate and interregional trav-
el and commerce. The benefits
of making these investments
are manifold, including: eco-
nomic growth; national securi-
ty; intermodal connectivity; sys-
tem connectivity; safety; the
ability to accommodate expand-
ed trade between Canada,
Mexico, and the United States;
and the ability to sustain a
growing tourism industry.
Future editions of the C&P
Report will include NHS statis-
tics and investment analyses.
:
:
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993 :
System Characteristics
* Total public road mileage
reached almost 3.9 million
miles in 1991—an increase of
almost 13,000 miles over 1989.
¢ Total highway travel reached
almost 2.2 trillion vehicle miles
in 1991—a total increase of 3
percent over 1989.
e Transit passenger miles trav-
eled increased by 8 percent
from 1980 and 1990.
Highway and Transit
Finance
@ In 1991, disbursements for
highway programs by all lev-
els of government totaled
$78.3 billion, with $3.8 billion
spent on debt retirement and
$74.5 billion on current opera-
tions. This expenditure for
current operations equates to
3.4 cents per mile of travel—a
decline in spending of more
than 50 percent in constant
dollars since 1960. In nomi-
nal dollars, however, 1991
spending for current opera-
tions increased more than $7
billion over 1989.
In 1991, $36.1 billion was
spent on highway and bridge
capital improvements, com-
pared to $33.1 billion in 1989;
$38.3 billion was spent for
noncapital purposes. The fed-
eral share of capital investment
was 41 percent in 1991, down
from a high of 56 percent in
1980.
In 1990, the cost to operate
mass transit service in the
United States was approxi-
mately $14.7 billion; capital
expenditures accounted for
$4.3 billion, for a total of $19
billion. In 1990, fares and
other revenue collected from
direct transit customers COov-
ered about 43 percent of oper-
ating costs with state and local
subsidies covering 52 percent
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993
and federal subsidy covering 6
percent. The federal share of
total reported capital activity
declined from 78 percent in
1980 to 60 percent in 1990,
System Condition and
Performance
* Pavement condition improved
throughout the 1980s and
continues to do so into the
1990s. However, approxi-
mately 234,500 miles of arteri-
als and collectors remain rated
as in “poor” or “mediocre”
condition.
e
Highway performance
declined throughout the 1980s,
especially in the larger urban-
ized areas although most
recently, performance has sta-
bilized. This is a direct result
of the temporary hiatus in
urban travel as a result of the
economic slowdown over
1989-1990. More than half of
the urban peak hour conges-
tion occurs in the 33 urbanized
areas larger than | million
population. Of urban inter-
state highways, 70 percent
experienced peak hour con-
gestion in 1991,
e
In 1992, about 118,500 of the
nation’s 575,000 bridges were
rated as structurally deficient.
The fatalities on the nation’s
highways continue to
decrease, dropping from 2.6
fatalities per 100 million vehi-
cle miles of travel in 1983 to a
low of 1.9 in 1991. However,
the total economic cost to the
nation of motor vehicle crash-
es in 1990 was more than $137
billion.
®
Highway, Bridge, and
Transit Investment
Requirements
¢ The cost to immediately elimi-
nate all existing backlog high-
way deficiencies on arterials
and collectors on December
e
e
®
31, 1991, is approximately
$212 billion, $7 billion more
than the backlog in 1989.
The cost to eliminate all back-
log bridge deficiencies is
approximately $78 billion, a
$13 billion reduction since
1989, reflecting increased
bridge rehabilitation and
replacement activity and modi-
fications to the procedures
used to rate bridge conditions.
The cost to eliminate the 1992
backlog of bus and rail transit
deficiencies, including equip-
ment and facilities, is estimated
at $18 billion.
The total annual cost to elimi-
nate highway and bridge back-
log deficiencies and to meet
additional highway and bridge
infrastructure requirements for
developing urban and subur-
ban areas is $67.1 billion
through 2011.
The total annual cost to main-
tain overall 1991 highway and
bridge conditions and perfor-
mance is $51.6 billion through
2011,
The cost to systematically
improve transit condition and
performance—by eliminating
the backlog of bus and rail
deficiencies, maintaining cur-
rent market share, and adding
additional service to accom-
modate anticipated urban
demand not included in either
the highway cost to maintain
or improve assessments—is
$6.6 billion annually through
2011.
The cost to maintain transit
condition and performance,
including the cost to meet new
statutory obligations to serve
disabled Americans and
improve vehicular emissions, is
estimated at $3.9 billion annu-
ally through 2011.
Page 9
———————————————
The percentage of peak
hour travel that occurred
under congested or severe-
ly congested conditions in
1991 exceeded 70 percent
on urban interstate high-
ways and 61 percent on
other urban freeways and
expressways.
Highway operating
characteristics
Continuing growth in travel is
causing increasing highway conges-
tion, particularly in urbanized areas.
The percentage of peak hour travel
on urban interstate highways that
occurred under congested or
severely congested conditions
exceeded 70 percent in 1991, "up
from 55 percent in 1983. Urban
interstate peak hour congestion has
grown at an average annual rate of
3 percent since 1983.
The percentage of congested peak
hour travel on other freeways and
expressways (OF&E) in urban areas
increased from 49 percent in 1983 to
more than 61 percent in 1991. Urban
peak hour congestion on OF&E has
grown at an average annual rate of
2.8 percent since 1983.
For urban interstate peak hour
travel, more than 55 percent of the
congested travel and more than 73
percent of the highly congested
travel occurs in the most populous
33 urbanized areas. Approximately
37 percent of the mileage, almost 41
percent of the lane-miles, and more
than 53 percent of the travel on
non-local urban roads occurs in
these 33 areas. However, more than
65 percent of the overall peak hour
congested urban travel is in these
same areas.
Highway physical
characteristics
Table 1 compares pavement con-
dition, based on the pavement ser-
Page 10
Table 1.— Estimated highway mileage by pavement condition, functional system,
and year
Functional System Year | Poor |Mediocre| Fair | Good Unpaved | Total
Rural Interstate
Urban Interstate
Rural Other
Arterials
Urban Other
Arterials
Rural Collectors
Urban Collectors
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993
viceability rating system, by func-
tional system over time. Between
1983 and 1991, the percentage of
pavements in poor condition (those
needing improvement now)
decreased or maintained a stable
condition for all functional systems,
rural and urban. The total mileage
in the mediocre pavement category
(those needing improvements in the
near future, generally within the next
five years) has become relatively sta-
ble. For the interstate functional sys-
tems, the mileage in the mediocre
category is within 2 percent of the
value for 1983. For other arterial
systems, the percentage of miles in
the mediocre category ranges from a
low of 7.3 for rural other principal
arterials to a high of 14.7 for urban
minor arterials.
The pavement rated as fair will like-
ly need improvement in the five- to
10-year range, and pavement in good
condition will not likely need improve-
ment for 10 to 15 years or more.
The mileage in poor condition in
most states has declined over the
“past few years. This represents a
real accomplishment in addressing
the worst pavement needs.
However, because of traffic loads
and the environment, pavements
will continue to deteriorate, and
substantial resurfacing and rehabili-
tation programs will be required to
maintain pavement structure in an
acceptable condition.
Bridges
The percentage of interstate,
arterial, and collector bridges classi-
fied as structurally deficient
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993
increased from 1984 to 1992—rising
from 13.2 to 14.3 percent.
Generally, the higher functional
systems have fewer deficient
bridges than lower systems.
However, the proportion of inter-
state bridges classified as structural-
ly deficient increased from 5.1 per-
cent in 1984 to 6.8 percent in 1992.
This is indicative both of the heavy
use of the interstate system and the
fact that many of these bridges are
nearing the point when rehabilita-
tion will be required.
Most bridges that are structurally
deficient are not in danger of col-
Substantial resurfacing
and rehabilitation pro-
grams will be required to
maintain pavement struc-
ture in an acceptable con-
dition.
lapse, but they are likely to be load-
posted so that heavier trucks will be
required to take an alternative,
longer route. Functionally deficient
bridges are those that do not have
adequate lane widths, shoulder
widths, or vertical clearances to
serve traffic demand or whose
waterway may allow occasional
flooding of the roadway.
The major increase in functionally
deficient bridges between 1988 and
1990—especially on the interstate
system—resulted from changes in
the Recording and Coding Guide for
the Structure Inventory and
me
Building new highways and bridges today requires techniques which limit environmental damage.
Page 11
Appraisal of the Nation’s Bridges.
More specific criteria are used to
assess condition and identify defi-
cient bridges. In 1992, 25.3 percent
of the interstate bridges were classi-
fied as being deficient, compared to
13.1 in 1984.
Highway safety
Fatality rates decreased from
1983 to 1991 for both rural and
urban interstate, other arterials, and
collectors. Rates ranged from a
high of 3.27 per 100 million vehicle
miles traveled on rural collectors to
a low of 0.67 on urban interstate
highways. The fatality rates on the
interstate highways—the system
with the lowest accident rate—
decreased from 1.50 in 1983 to 1.25
in 1991 in rural areas and from 1.01
to 0.67 in urban areas. Overall
fatality rates are 2.76 for rural high-
ways and 1.32 for urban highways,
with an overall average of 1.91.
Although fatality rates decreased
to a historic low in 1991, the
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration estimated that the
total economic cost to the nation of
motor vehicle crashes in 1990 was
more than $137 billion.
Environmental conditions
and performance
The environmental consequences
of transportation arise from both
construction and use. Indices of
performance pose both conceptual
and practical challenges. However,
an initial set of categories were
Approximately 42 percent
of the highway backlog is
pavement cost.
Page 12
a a ———SSsCis
identified: air quality, water quality,
wetlands, energy, noise, land and
open space, threatened and endan-
gered species, and community
impacts.
Progress is being made in each
of these categories. As an example,
there was significant progress in
reducing the overall levels of the
major transportation-related air pol-
lutants over the last decade.
According to the Environmental
Protection Agency’s National Air
Quality and Emissions Trends
Report in 1990, pollution from car-
bon monoxide, lead, nitrogen
monoxide, and smog were all
reduced along the nation’s high-
ways from 1981 to 1990 despite a
39-percent increase in vehicle miles
traveled. Emissions of carbon
monoxide were down by 39 per-
cent, of lead by 85 percent, of
nitrogen dioxide by 6 percent, and
of smog (hydrocarbons) by 12 per-
cent.
Transit service quality
The perception of quality among
customers and potential customers is
an important determinant of transit
use and is often more important than
the cost of the fare. According to
National Personal Transportation
Survey (NPTS) data, the majority of
transit users spend very little time
waiting for service. Approximately
47 percent of transit trips involve one
or more transfers. In addition,
approximately 17 percent of transit
trips involve a transfer from a private
vehicle—e.g., park and ride situa-
tions. According to NPTS 1990 data,
over 40 percent of all transit com-
muters reported trip times of 10 min-
utes or less; nearly 87 percent of tran-
sit riders arrive at work in less than
half an hour.
Bus and paratransit
condition
The Federal Transit Administra-
tion has established minimum
requirements for the period of time
an asset must remain in mass transit
service before it will be considered
eligible for replacement. If it were
possible for transit agencies to
replace vehicles on this schedule,
the average age of each type of
vehicle would be one-half the use-
ful life guideline. In reality, howev-
er, the average fleet age for all
classes of buses and paratransit
vehicles is greater than the opti-
mum guideline. As a result, there is
a backlog of overage vehicles of
each type in need of replacement.
Since 1990, the total fleet size has
not changed noticeably, but the
average age of the vehicles has
increased.
Rail conditions
Detailed information is available
on the condition of the nation’s rail
system from the Rail Modernization
Study published in 1987. Specific
definitions were developed for each
of five condition levels—excellent,
good, fair, poor, and bad. The key
condition level is good, which is
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER e« 1993
defined as “good working order and
requiring Only nominal or infrequent
minor repairs.”
Maintenance yards and facilities
are in the most need of improve-
ment because only 17 percent of
the yards and 28 percent of the
facilities were rated as being in
good or better condition. Also in
need of substantial improvement
are elevated rapid rail structures
(with only 19 percent in good or
better condition), stations (29 per-
cent), and bridges (32 percent).
Substations are in the best overall
shape; 66 percent is in good or bet-
ter condition. Commuter rail vehi-
cles are also generally well off; 49
percent of locomotives and 55 per-
cent of unpowered cars are in good
or better condition.
Highway, Bridge, and
Transit Investment
Requirements, 1992-2011
The following provides esti-
mates for total capital investments
required by all units of govern-
ment to achieve specified levels of
overall system condition and per-
formance for all highways,
bridges, and transit systems for
the period 1992-2011. Future
travel forecasts used to estimate
investment requirements were
developed by the states. All
investment estimates included in
this article are for the period
January 1, 1992, through
December 31, 2011, and are
expressed in 1991 dollars.
Investment requirements are pre-
sented in Table 2 as two scenarios:
¢ Cost to improve overall conditions
and performance.
¢ Cost to maintain current overall
conditions and performance.
Cost-to-improve conditions | Goal:
and performance
Cost-to-maintain conditions | Goal:
and perfomance
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993
Table 2.—Investment scenarios
Description
* Eliminate backlog and accru-
ing performance and condi-
tions deficiencies.
« Ensure that by the year 2011
no highway or bridge will be
in poor condition.
¢ Maintain overall condition and
performance through 2011,
except in the largest cities,
where performance can be
expected to decline due to
inadequate capacity.
es. ey é — £
The remaining 58 percent of highway backlog is the cost of adding capacity, including building
more lanes, to restore system performance to minimum capacity performance standards.
Highway and bridge
requirements
Estimates of highway and bridge
investment requirements were pre-
pared based on sophisticated engi-
neering-based models—i.e., the
Highway Performance Monitoring
System (HPMS) Analytical Process
and the Bridge Needs and
Investment Process (BNIP). The
highway and bridge estimating pro-
cedures received input from HPMS
and National Bridge Inventory (NBD
data bases.
HPMS contains information about
physical conditions and use for more
than 100,000 non-local highway sec-
tions. The HPMS analytical proce-
Goal:
* Eliminate backlog of
transit equipment and
facility deficiencies.
* Increase rate of ridership
growth and increase
_ market share.
Goal:
« Maintain current levels of
service.
+ Maintain current growth
trends in transit patron-
age.
dure uses this data to simulate high-
way investment decisions and pre-
dict system performance.
NBI contains detailed information
about all highway bridges in the
country. Using this data, BNIP com-
pares bridge conditions to a pre-
scribed set of minimum bridge con-
dition standards. Deficiencies are
noted, and the appropriate improve-
ment is simulated.
HPMS data suggests that highway
travel will increase at an average
annual rate of about 2.5 percent
through 2011. That is slightly below
the average 3-percent increases for
the past decade.
The “backlog” of highway and
bridge deficiencies is the cost of
bringing the current system up to
minimum standards from its exist-
ing conditions and performance
status. As of December 31, 1991,
the cost of eliminating the backlog
of highway deficiencies was esti-
mated at $212 billion for all existing
arterials and collectors. This
amount is $7 billion more than the
comparable figure from 1989; the
increase is attributed to deteriora-
tion in overall average system per-
formance.
Approximately 42 percent of the
highway backlog is pavement cost;
the remaining 58 percent is the cost
of adding capacity to restore system
performance to minimum capacity
performance standards. The urban
backlog is twice as high as rural
backlog, reflecting the capacity defi-
Page 13
ciencies in the larger urban areas.
Backlog deficiencies are fairly evenly
distributed among the functional
highway systems.
As of December 31, 1991, backlog
requirements on the nation’s high-
way bridges were $78 billion. The
cost to eliminate the backlog of
bridge deficiencies could increase to
as much as $112 billion, depending
on the number of years required to
meet that objective, because of the
deferred capital cost of bridge repair.
The bridge backlog estimates have
decreased significantly from the $91
billion estimate in 1989 because of
bridge improvements and revisions
in the rating criteria.
The average annual cost through
2011 to repair all backlog deficien-
cies and keep all highways above
the specific minimum condition and
performance level standards
through 2011 is $59.1 billion. This
figure includes an estimated $4.8
billion in annual capital savings
from the coordinated traffic man-
agement program. The average
annual investment required to
repair, replace, or widen all back-
log and accruing bridge deficien-
cies on all highway bridges through
2011 is $8.2 billion.
The “cost-to-improve” scenario
would result in modest improve-
ments in overall pavement condi-
tions on the higher functional sys-
tems. It would increase the aver-
age pavement condition to approx-
imately a 3.5 pavement serviceabil-
ity rating. Consequently, pave-
ments would have, on average,
between 8 and 12 years of remain-
ing design life.
System performance on rural and
many urban highways would
improve under this scenario, sup-
porting at least a minimum level of
service during the daily peak period
of demand. The scenario would
eliminate most highly congested
conditions and improve performance
on high-volume highways soon to
be congested.
Under this scenario, conditions
and performance would be superior
to today’s but substantially below
the design and performance stan-
dards expected of new, or nearly
new, roads. No section of road
would be in poor condition.
The magnitude of new capacity
required to improve conditions to
or above the minimum condition
standard for performance is unlikely
to occur, given the extensive right-
of-way acquisition, social disloca-
tion, air quality, and noise effects
that would result from such an
effort.
Page 14
a ——SSs—s
Table 3.— Investment requirements for highways and bridges vs. related capital
outlay, 1991-2011 (projecting 2.5% growth rate in vehicle miles traveled
(all estimates expressed in billions of 1991 dollars and do not reflect inflation)
Annualized Cost To Improve | Annualized Cost To Maintain
1991
Capacity | To System | Capacity | To Related
Preser- Capital
vation Outlay
tal tal
4.2 2.0 3 Bad:
Functional System System
Preser-
vation
Rural
Interstate 2.4
Other Principal Arterial 2.5 4.3 1.9 3.0
Minor Arterial 2.9 4.2 ae 3.2
Major Collector 5.3 6.0 4.2 4.9
Minor Collector 3.4 3.5 2.0 : 2.1
Local 0.7 0.7. 0.5 0:5: :
Sublotal Rural 174
Urban
Interstate
Other Freeway and Expressway
Other Principal Arterial
4.9
1.9
4.8
4.1
1.5
3.7
Minor Arterial 35 eS, 28
Collector 26 24] 50 24 18
Local 0.2
; : 0
i939 |
i So one
[weeeesimae()——SC~=*‘d;SC A |B coo] era] tet]
1 See Table 4.
2 Data is not available to disaggregate “local” capital outlay by urban and rural categories;
therefore, the total 1991 related capital outlay included spending while rural and urban subto-
tals do not include this spending. Local spending in 1991 was $5.7 billion.
3.8 4.0 5 8
2
| Table 4 Annual cost to maintain scenario for 1991 highway and bridge
condition and performance.
60
.
4992 2002
& Pavement ®@ Bridge mi Capacity
Capacity improvements include additional lanes on existing facilities plus additional infrastructure to
support anticipated suburban growth.
2011
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993
Table 5—Summary of annualized transit investment requirements, 1992-2011
(All estimates are expressed in billions of 1991 dollars and do not reflect inflation)
Explanation ...Annual Cost
* Eliminate backlog.
* Increase transit market share by 25% over
Improve
conditions and
performance
20 years.
* Include ADA* requirements.
* $3.1 billion/year to maintain transit
conditions.
« $0.8 billion/year to maintain trends in
patronage.
Maintain
conditions and
performance
*Americans with Disabilities Act
The average annua! cost to main-
tain existing highways through 2011
is estimated at $46.4 billion. This
figure includes savings from the
coordinated traffic management pro-
gram.
The average annual cost to main-
tain overall bridge conditions as they
were reported on June 30, 1992, is
estimated at $5.2 billion annually
through 2011. This investment level
would maintain the current total
number and distribution of struc-
turally deficient and functionally
obsolete bridges.
Under this scenario, the backlog
would remain essentially unchanged
over the 20-year analysis period.
Conditions described earlier would
be maintained except in the larger
urbanized areas, where further dete-
rioration can be expected because of
the capacity constraints imposed in
the analysis.
Table 3 summarizes annual
investment requirements to meet
each scenario target for all urban
and rural areas. The table shows
total 20-year investment require-
ments categorized as pavement and
capacity improvements, with annu-
alized totals. The annualized total
is the 20-year total divided equally.
_ Under the cost-to-improve sce-
nario, two-thirds of total invest-
ment would occur in urban areas;
capacity improvements would
account for about half of total
investment.
Table 3 compares highway and
bridge capital requirements for
1992-2011 with actual 1991 capital
expenditures by state and local
governments. The cost-to-improve
scenario would require a total
annual investment in highway
infrastructure of $67.3 billion—
more than twice what was spent in
1991 for corresponding capital
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER ® 1993
* Service expansion to meet 10% of 34,000
lane-miles of highways not built.
* Improve stations to current standards.
* Include ADA* requirements.
improvements. Increasing invest-
ment in infrastructure from its 1991
level of $32.1 billion to $67.3 bil-
lion would require spending an
additional 1.6 cents per mile of
travel. The “cost-to-maintain” sce-
nario would require an additional
0.9 cents per mile of travel.
Total spending capital for highways
and bridges would need to increase
by $35.2 billion annually in 1991
dollars to improve 1991 overall
conditions and performance. If
funded by motor fuel taxes, this
increase in spending would require
a fuel tax increase of approximately
27 cents per gallon. To provide
the $19.5 billion required to main-
tain 1991 conditions, a fuel tax
increase of 15 cents per gallon
would be required.
Table 4 graphically illustrates the
investment stream on a year-to-year
basis for the cost-to-maintain sce-
nario. Pavement and bridge require-
ments are essentially the same annu-
ally over the 20-year period, reflect-
ing the continuing nature of system
condition maintenance. The “ramp-
ing” of total investment requirements
to meet existing and anticipated
growth in travel is illustrated by the
increasing Capacity requirements
shown. All values are in 1991 dol-
lars and do not reflect any inflation
in highway construction costs over
the period.
Transit requirements
The transit backlog includes the
estimated costs of replacing all bus
and rail transit equipment that has
exceeded its usable design life.
Eliminating the backlog would bring
the average fleet age down to the
minimum useful life standards and
bring rail equipment and facilities to
good condition. The total transit
backlog is estimated at $17.6 billion
or $0.9 billion per year if eliminated
over the 20-year period.
The cost-to-improve scenario is
estimated at $131.8 billion for the
period 1992-2011. This cost would
require an annual investment of $6.6
billion, assuming that the backlog
would be eliminated over 20 years.
At this investment level, transit
services will increase over a 20-year
period to about 283 million revenue
vehicle hours per year, thereby pro-
viding capacity to accommodate
about 64 billion passenger miles per
year, compared with 38 billion pas-
senger miles today. In addition, the
backlog of deferred rail and bus
modernization and rehabilitation
needs would be eliminated, restor-
ing those systems to good condition
and bringing them up to modern
transit standards.
The cost-to-maintain scenario is
estimated at $77.8 billion through
2011 or $3.9 billion per year. This
figure is the investment needed to
maintain current levels of service.
At this level of investment, facilities
and equipment would be main-
tained in their current state of
repair. The estimate also includes
the additional investment level
needed to extend coverage and
improve service levels to maintain
current trends in growth in transit
patronage. It includes low capital
demand management as well as
new starts at historical levels.
At this level of investment, the
amount of transit service provided
would increase at a rate of 0.8 per-
cent per year, consistent with the
increase in transit patronage over the
last 10 years. In 20 years, this would
result in an increase in capacity of 17
percent, raising the total amount of
transit service from the present 169
million revenue vehicle hours to
about 198 million revenue vehicle
hours. This increase in capacity
could accommodate an increase in
passenger miles from the present 38
billion to about 44 billion.
Under this scenario, transit vehi-
cles would be replaced at about
the current rate, which is slightly
slower than optimal. Existing rail
systems would be maintained in
the current conditions with no
major improvements. Investments
on existing rail systems would
occur at the rate needed to ensure
that equipment and facilities are
replaced as they wear out. New
rail systems would be constructed
at a rate sufficient to accommodate
the present rate of transit patron-
age growth. Table 5 summarizes
1992-2011 transit investment
requirements.
Page 15
by Craig Sanders
© those on the mainland United
States, visions of Hawaii usually
bring thoughts of relaxing on a white,
sandy beach during the long, warm,
tropical days, sipping on a fruity drink
while an exhilarating equatorial
breeze gently whisks away the stress
and worries common to everyday life.
While these peaceful images of
Hawaii may hold true for ihe two-
week tourist, we who live in and
around the city of Honolulu on the
island of Oahu, which houses 80 per-
cent of Hawaii's residents, must deal
with the big city problems of popula-
tion and traffic congestion. In the last
20 years, the population has increased
44 percent while the number of motor
vehicles on the highway has risen 111
percent. Interstate route H-3 is part of
the Hawaii Department of
Transportation's (HDOT) integrated
long range transportation plan to
accommodate the island's growing
population.
How can any highway on an
island be designated as an interstate?
In 1959, after Hawaii became a state,
Congress felt both Alaska and Hawaii
needed to be included in the inter-
state highway system, granting the
new state of Hawaii 50 miles of this
Page 16
H-5: THE ISLAND INTERSTATE
high-speed, limited access freeway
for the highly populated island of
Oahu. So, by nature of its designa-
tion and funding, we have an inter-
state system in Hawaii separated from
the next nearest state by a 2000-mile
stretch of the Pacific Ocean.
The 52-mile-long interstate sys-
tem was planned to solve Oahu's
projected traffic demands and con-
nect the island's major military cen-
ters. This network consists of three
freeways: H-1, H-2 and H-3.
H-1, 27 miles long and now com-
plete, connects the Hawaii National
Guard at Fort Ruger to the Barbers
Point Naval Air Station and runs
through the middle of Honolulu.
H-2, also complete and only eight
miles long, joins Pearl Harbor Naval
Base and Hickam Air Force Base to
Wheeler Air Force Base. H-2 also
serves as a partial connection from
H-1 to the North Shore of the
island. The 15-mile-long H-3 will
connect the Kaneohe Marine Corps
Air Station to the Pearl Harbor
defense bases, passing through the
Koolau Mountains to join the wind-
ward towns of Kailua and Kaneohe
to the leeward cities of Pearl City
and Honolulu.
H-3 will provide
much needed relief to
the other two trans-
Koolau routes—the
Likelike and Pali high-
ways—which have
long been operating at
capacity during the
morning and evening
rush hours. When H-3
is opened, it is predict-
ed that one-third of the
present traffic crossing
the mountains will use
H-3, one-third will use
the Likelike Highway,
and one-third the Pali
Highway.
H-3 is the biggest
construction and the
largest public works
project ever undertak-
en by the state of
Hawaii. This immense
goal, consisting of 20
separate contracts,
includes both leeward
and windward viaducts
joined by a 5,000-foot
trans-Koolau tunnel,
bridges, interchanges,
access roads, and
more. The planning and construc-
tion of H-3 has been costly, lengthy,
and anything but easy. At times it
seemed that there was no end to the
environmental, archaeological, legal,
and engineering challenges.
Construction on the Kaneohe interchange
which is one of 20 contracts for the H-3 pro-
ject. The shear windward side of the Koolau
Mountains is in the background.
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993
Top. A view of the windward city
of Kailua. The Windward
Viaducts are visible on the right.
The antennae from the Coast
Guard Omega Station can be
seen in the upper right.
Right. The Coast Guard Omega
Station located on the windward
side of the Koolaus near the mouth
of the Trans-Koolau Tunnels. This
station causes large, insulated
objects nearby to become charged,
posing the threat of shocks to
workers and users of H-3. Several
countermeasures have been taken
to eliminate this problem.
However, it has been an
invaluable learning experi-
ence for HDOT.
Although the planning for
H-3 began much earlier, the
passage of the National
Environmental Policy Act of
1970 required the state to file
its first Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS). The law demands
the study, documentation, and possi-
ble mitigation measures of significant
impacts on the environment caused
by any projects using federal funds.
At the time, the concept of putting
environmental concerns ahead of
engineering issues was rarely consid-
ered on most projects.
HDOT conducted specialized
studies for different areas of concern,
including archaeology, plants and
animals, and air and noise quality.
To validate these studies, experts in
each of the involved fields—botany;
zoology; archaeology; Hawaiian cul-
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993
ture; and water, air, and noise quali-
ty—were hired.
When all the environmental ques-
tions had been answered and the
studies completed, the results were
compiled into a huge, several-vol-
ume EIS document. These findings
were discussed with the public,
evaluated by the state and federal
governments, and finally incorporat-
ed into the planning and design of
the H-3 project. Although much
time and money was spent on the
preparation of the EIS, HDOT had
its first experience with the new law
and had planned and designed a
project with the
environment as a
prime consideration.
An often over-
looked benefit of the
H-3 project is the
wealth of archaeo-
logical knowledge
uncovered. The pro-
posed H-3 corridors
routed the freeway
through undevel-
oped lands on the
island. Recognizing
the possibility of
unearthing artifacts
of the ancient
Hawaiians, HDOT
hired archaeological
experts from the
Bishop Museum in
Hawaii to find, sur-
vey, and study
archaeological sites.
After the important
areas were identified,
H-3's alignment was
designed to avoid
any adverse impacts.
A section of the
Moanalua Valley, once
considered a possible
corridor for H-3, was
even placed on the
National Register of
Historic Places. A Bishop
Museum archaeologist
declared that the H-3
process saved these
priceless sites from pri-
vate development. The
examination of the sites
is ongoing, and much
more is expected to be
learned about the early
Hawaiians.
The Coast Guard
Omega Station (OMSTA)
presented a unique chal-
lenge. The station, locat-
ed on the windward side
near the mouth of the
Trans-Koolau Tunnels, is
part of an eight-station,
worldwide network which allows
any aircraft or ship to determine its
location to within a mile. OMSTA
causes large insulated objects near
the station to become energized,
providing a small shock to anyone
coming in contact with these items.
HDOT was concerned that "surprise
shocks" to workers on H-3 might
result in a fall or other accident. In
some cases, workers in sensitive
areas were required to wear gloves
or rubber boots. To prevent any
effect on H-3 travelers, a device
known as a Faraday Shield was
installed over a short section of the
Page 17
highway near the mouth of the tun-
nels to reduce the electric field. The
shield consists of six three-eighth-
inch-diameter wires on each side of
the road spaced one vertical meter
apart and eight three-eighth-inch-
diameter wires overhead. A wire
mesh is incorporated into the pave-
ment below to complete the shield.
Hoomaluhia Park on the wind-
ward (east) side of the Koolau
Mountains was developed in con-
junction with the H-3 alignment.
The Department of Parks and HDOT
worked together to produce a park
which would be partially bordered
by H-3. However, a legal challenge
stemming from this shared border
delayed the construction of the free-
way for more than two years.
A small group of opponents to the
highway saw the shared border as an
opportunity to use the park and the
Section 4f of the U.S. Department of
Transportation Act to stop the con-
struction of H-3. Section 4f protects
some public lands and historic sites.
On August 21, 1984, the Ninth Circuit
Court of Appeals determined that
there had been "constructive" tak-
ing of park land, effectively stop-
ping all construction activity on H-
3. Although no park land was
actually taken, the more abstract
"constructive" possesion of the
park land was defined as the over-
all reduction in environmental
quality to the park as a result of
the 1.7-mile border with H-3. State
attorneys appealed this ruling but
were unsuccessful in overturning
the injunction.
Finally, it was decided to pursue
an exemption to Section 4f by pre-
senting the case to the U.S. Congress.
After a constant bombardment of
Page 18
rr ste
The new animal quarantine station.
phone calls, letters, petitions, and
meetings with subcommittee mem-
bers in support of H-3, Congress
approved and President Reagan
signed an exemption into law in
October 1986. Then, after more than
two years of delay, the U.S. District
Court dismissed all injunctions against
the construction of H-3.
With the lifting of the injunction,
construction began on the five-
mile, $8.5-million North Halawa
Valley access road. Many obsta-
cles had to be overcome to build
this road. For example, every-
day, surveyors had to be airlifted
deep into the beautiful but
rugged North Halawa Valley to
set the road alignment, gather
topographical information, and
build a landing pad for their
return ride in the evening.
At the completion of the access
road in 1989, work began to relo-
cate Hawaii's unique animal quaran-
tine station and to construct a short
"cut and cover" tunnel, viaducts,
and the trans-Koolau tunnels.
Unfortunately, the best alignment of
H-3 routed it through the middle of
the state's animal quarantine station.
This was the only facility capable of
holding animals in accordance with
the state law requiring a 120-day
quarantine of all potential carriers
of rabies imported into Hawaii.
The station was relocated using fed-
eral funds allowed for "functional
replacement," meaning that the
relocated facilities could be
designed and built to current codes
but could only perform the same
functions as the existing facilities.
The new AQS was completed in
1991 for $20 million.
Hospital Rock Tunnel is a 690-
foot "cut and cover" with separate
inbound and outbound tunnels. A
cut and cover tunnel is cut com-
pletely away to daylight, the tunnel
constructed, and the cover back-
filled around the concrete tunnel
section. These tunnels cost nearly
$18 million.
The real showcases of H-3 are
the North Halawa and Windward
Viaducts and the connecting mile-
long Trans-Koolau Tunnel.
H-3 passes through the majestic
Koolau Mountains via the mile-long
Trans-Koolau twin tunnels. The
construction of the tunnels involves
six different contracts, including
ones for an exploratory tunnel, ven-
tilation, control and support systems,
finishing, and tunneling. All con-
tracts are expected to be completed
by December 1994.
When the North Halawa Valley
was opened up by the newly built
access road in January 1989, the bor-
ing of an 14-foot-wide exploratory
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993
tunnel began through the Koolau
Mountains. An exploratory tun-
nel is used by engineers to pro-
vide geological information and
assist in the design of the main
tunnel. Although this explorato-
ry tunnel, finished in March
1990, cost $12 million, it has
been proven that an exploratory
tunnel saves money in the long
run by reducing the expense of
the main tunnel.
The actual tunneling work
for the main tunnels was split
between two contracts—one
beginning on the leeward or
North Halawa side and one
starting from the windward or
Haiku side. A joint venture of
contractors, called H-3
Tunnelers, began tunneling
from the Halawa side in
January 1991 for a contract
price of $89 million. Another joint
venture, named Trans-Koolau,
began tunneling from the Haiku
side in October 1990 for a price tag
of $108 million. The tunnelers used
the "drill and blast" method of tun-
nel excavation, following with shot-
creting and rock bolting for tempo-
rary support. A soft ground type
called sapprolite was encountered
for the first 300 feet into the Halawa
side of the tunnels. The rest of the
tunneling was done in good rock.
Although the H-3 tunnels are above
the groundwater table, rain water
filters through the porous rock and
poses the problem of nuisance
drips. To alleviate this problem, a
waterproof membrane seals the
shotcrete to a 14-inch-thick concrete
lining, which is being constructed
using a 50-foot-long moving form.
The tunnel section is horseshoe
shaped with an invert width of 48
feet for two lanes of traffic and an
excavated height of 38 feet. The
profile has a maximum grade of six
percent; the Haiku and a Halawa
portal elevations are 840 and 1,305
feet above sea level, respectively.
The rock cover above the tunnel
ranges from 600 to 1,385 feet. The
top of the Koolau Range reaches an
elevation of 3,760 feet. Included in
the design of the tunnel are 10
horseshoe-shaped cross-passages,
which are excavated 10 feet wide by
24 feet high and are from 115 to 226
feet in length.
There are two portal structures
on each side of the mountain—one
for the inbound and one for the
outbound lanes. These are four-
level concrete buildings designed
to house the ventilation and control
systems, including electrical
switchgear for power, transformers,
~ — rs cei
Top. The twin Windward Viaducts looking away from the tunnels.
Center. The portal buildings on the windward side.
Bottom. The outbound, windward side portal structure.
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993 Page 19
The control building and outbound portal on
the North Halawa or leeward side of the
Trans-Koolau Tunnels.
communications equipment, light-
ing, air supply and exhaust fans,
water supply for fire protection,
service and emergency vehicles,
and more.
The control building, separate
from the portal structures, is locat-
ed at the Halawa mouth of the tun-
nels. It is the "brain" of the H-3
tunnel operations, housing the
computer equipment, variable mes-
sage sign controls, emergency gen-
erator, closed circuit television
equipment, fire and intrusion
alarms, carbon monoxide monitor-
ing system, and AM/FM rebroadcast
system.
The ventilation for the tunnels is
accomplished by a false, flat con-
crete ceiling which runs for the
entire length of the tunnels. The
area between the arch of the tunnel
and the false ceiling is separated
into two sections by a concrete
divider, with one compartment
used for inhaling exhaust air and
one compartment used for distrib-
uting fresh air. Large fans either
draw or blow air the into the sepa-
rated compartments.
The Windward Viaducts are
spectacular, one-mile-long twin
structures connecting the Haiku
side of the Trans-Koolau Tunnels to
the cut and cover Hospital Rock
Tunnel. Through a contractor-sub-
mitted Value Engineering Contract
Proposal (VECP), the design of
these structures was changed from
segmentally constructed, cast-in-
place to segmentally constructed,
precast, prestressed boxgirder
viaducts. This request also includ-
ed a change from precast driven to
drilled shaft piles. After those criti-
cal design issues were resolved, the
Page 20
VECP was accepted by the state.
This resulted in a savings of $2.2
million split equally by the state
and the contractor for this $136 mil-
lion contract.
The viaducts have 23 sets of
piers, each supported by six three-
foot-diameter drilled shaft piles 40
to 140 feet long. The piers vary
from 12 to 160 feet in height and
have a double box cross section
with walls 18 inches thick. These
massive piers measure 22 feet long
by 14 feet wide and are topped by
pier tables. The superstructures are
made up of the precast, single box
girder sections with 24 to 30 seg-
ments per span. The segment
depths vary from eight feet at mid-
span to 16 feet at the piers giving
the superstructures an arched span
appearance.
The construction of the superstruc-
ture for each viaduct involved the use
of a specially designed, twin, self-
launching, steel erection truss system.
This system physically picks up the
precast girder segment and helps set
it into place in the viaduct, allowing
the then in-place section to be pre-
stressed with steel tendons. This 384-
foot-long truss enabled the construc-
tion of the inbound and outbound
structures simultaneously.
A precasting yard was constructed
near the job site to produce the pre-
cast segments. The yard produced an
average of four segments per day,
manufacturing a total of 1,338 for the
viaducts.
Although the construction of the
twin structures is now substantially
complete, delamination problems
with the three-inch deck overlay are
expected to delay its finishing until
the end of 1993.
The twin, mile-long North
Halawa Valley inbound and out-
bound viaducts on the Halawa
side of the tunnels will also be
impressive structures. Although
there was the option to build pre-
cast superstructures like the
Windward Viaducts, the contrac-
tor for these viaducts chose to
build cast-in-place, prestressed,
segmental superstructures as orig-
inally designed for a bid price of
$141 million.
The superstructures are sup-
ported by 17 outbound and 19
inbound double celled box piers,
whose heights range from 27 to
105 feet. The piers' crosssection
measures 23 feet long by 10 feet
wide with 18-inch-thick walls and
is supported underneath by five to
nine five-foot-diameter drilled shaft
piles, 35 to 65 feet in length. The
cast-in-place superstructure seg-
ments range in height from 18 feet
at the pier to eight feet at the
midspan with a wall thickness of
eight to 27 inches and a bottom
width of 23 feet. The concrete
overlayed decks vary from 41 to 53
feet in width.
Three specially designed, steel
cantilevered trusses are being used
to construct the superstructures.
One truss began construction at
one end of the viaducts, and the
other two started from the opposite
end. The contractor has been aver-
aging a segment turnaround time of
14 hours.
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993
Unusually large boulders
encountered during the boring for
the drilled shaft piles have added
another $6 million to the cost of
the project. Although the contract
specified two- to three-foot boul-
ders were likely to be encountered
during the drilling, the contractor
had to deal with boulders the size
of automobiles.
The North Halawa Valley Viaducts
are expected to be completed by
December 1994.
H-3 required a great deal of time,
money, and political support, but
the highland highway is almost a
reality. The freeway, envisioned
more then 30 years ago, will soon
be in service to ease the trans-
Koolau traffic crunch. Total cost of
Top. A view of the steel cantilevered truss used to construct the North Halawa Valley Viaducts.
Center. Pier 17 outbound, the first segment of the North Halawa Valley Viaducts, and the steel
cantilevered truss use for the construction of the cast-in-place, segmental superstructure.
Bottom. An up-close look at pier 17 outbound and the truss.
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993
this extraordinary project, which
should be completed by 1996, is
expected to come close to $1 billion
dollars. Hawaii may never again
have the opportunity to "experi-
ence" a project of this magnitude
and complexity.
References
(1 ) Parsons Brinkerhoff—Hirota
Associates. "Interstate Route H-3
Trans-Koolau Tunnels Facilities
Study Report," October 1984.
(2) "H-3/Haiku Omega Collection
Studies," Hawaii Department of
Transportation, April 1984.
(3 ) "Final—Section 4(f) Statement
for the H-3 Windward Highway and
Ho'omaluhia Park," Federal
Highway Administration and Hawaii
Department of Transportation.
(4 )Parsons Brinkerhoff—Hirota
Associates. "H-3 Tunnel Facts,"
January 1993.
(5) "The H-3 Interstate Highway
Video," Hawaii Department of
Transportation.
(6) "Executive Summary—H-3
Briefing Halawa Interchange to
Halekou Interchange," Hawaii
Department of Transportation.
(7) Richard M. Sato & Associates,
Inc. "Basis for Design—Animal
Quarantine Station Functional
Replacement," August 1984.
(S) Plans and Specifications for I-H3
contracts: I-H3-1(71), I-H3-1(61,64), I-
H3-167,58), I-H3-163).
(9) "Why We Need H-3," Carrier,
newsletter of the Hawaii Department
of Transportation, Vol. 20, Issue 5,
November 1984.
(10 ) "Staff Analysis—Interstate H-3
and existing Trans-Koolau Highway
Alternatives," Federal Highway
Administration, Region 9, San
Francisco, California, October 1979.
(11) J.D. Stokes. "Hawaii's
Interstate H-3 Windward Viaduct,"
April 19, 1992.
Craig Sanders is in the FHWA’s
Highway Engineer Training
Program (HETP), currently assigned
to the small and busy Hawaii divi-
sion office. The Hawaii division
office is responsible for the islands
of O'ahu, Kaua'i, Maui, Molokai
and Hawaii in the state of Hawaii
as well as the territories of Guam,
the Northern Marianas, and
American Samoa. Sanders is in the
final year-long phase of his train-
ing, working six months in the divi-
sion office and six months on the
massive H-3 construction project.
He hopes to receive permanent
placement in a direct Federal Lands
office upon graduation from HETP
in December 1993.
Page 21
As a result of the Intermodal
Surface Transportation Efficiency Act
of 1991 CSTEA) and the enlightened
vision of planners in the Department
of Transportation (DOT), transporta-
tion research has a bright future.
With the completion of the Eisen-
hower National Interstate Highway
ATR
Alliance for Transportation Research
This is the ATR logo.
System comes the challenge of main-
taining this remarkable infrastructure
and using it in the safest and most
economically beneficial manner.
ATR brings to the transportation
community new capabilities for
iE OCR ae REE Gian pclae:
“eg
An aerial view of Los Alamos looking west.
Page 22
All Alliance in New Mexico Brings
High-Tech to Transportation
by Daniel S. Metzger
research and development (R&D)
and mechanisms for rapidly integrat-
ing the results of research into the
transportation market place.
ATR is a partnership formed in
October 1991 among New Mexico's
major educational institutions: the
University of New Mexico
and New Mexico State
University; two Department
of Energy (DOE) national
laboratories: Los Alamos
National Laboratory and
Sandia National Laboratories;
and the New Mexico State
Highway and Transportation
Department (NMSHTD). These part-
ners realize that external interactions
are important to energize the enter-
prise. The president, David Albright,
and his administrative staff are spon-
sored by the NMSHTD. Each of the
participating national laboratories
sponsors a vice president. Function-
ally, the staff reports to an executive
committee that comprises high-level
representation from each of the part-
ners.
ATR is fortunate to have the
active participation of advisors
from both the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) and DOE.
In addition, an Industrial Advisory
Board represents the active and
growing interests of the private
sector, and the National and
International Research Council
helps ATR keep in touch with
global research activities in trans-
portation.
ATR is unique in its approach of
bringing together public and private
knowledge and capabilities to
address problems of national inter-
est. Fundamental to the effective-
ness of ATR has been its priority to
find ways to contribute significantly
rather than to first institutionalize an
organization.
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER e 1993
ATR Vision and Mission
Simply stated, the vision of ATR is
to apply the enviable intellectual and
physical resources available in New
Mexico to important transportation
issues. The governor and the
department secretary have empow-
ered the NMSHTD, in conjunction
with industry and the other partners,
to use the entire state highway sys-
tem, which spans several climatic
zones, as a test bed for research
objectives. This collection of
resources is proving attractive, both
to the industrial participants and to
the potential sponsors. Industrial
participation is essential to the suc-
cess of this cooperative research.
The primary work of ATR is to
identify worthy, fundable research
projects; to match the skills of the
partners with the necessary tasks;
and to disseminate the results.
National laboratories pursue
technology transfer activities with
the clear intent of providing the
benefits from federal research to
boost U.S. industrial competitive-
ness. Technology transfer became
a mission of the national laborato-
ries with the enactment of the
National Competitiveness
Technology Transfer Act of 1989,
which is consistent with the
Stevenson-Wydler Act of 1980.
These acts establish the primary
technology transfer mechanism,
the Cooperative Research and
Development Agreement
(CRADA), and these agreements
protect intellectual property for
the industrial participants so they
can profitably take the research
results to market.
Summary of ATR
Achievements
In its first year, ATR has stimulat-
ed the interest of the national labora-
tories in important transportation
issues. The centerpiece of participa-
tion by the national laboratories has
been their capabilities in enterprise
and engineering modeling. Enter-
prise modeling is systems oriented
and involves energy, environmental,
and economic simulations based on
a collection of validated models.
Engineering models use the vast
computing power of the laboratories
to compute the properties of compli-
cated physical systems under realis-
tic conditions. These modeling and
simulation capabilities allow plan-
ners to realistically investigate the
consequences of decisions without
expensive physical implementation.
In addition, the laboratories have
demonstrated interest in applying
their resources in sensors, data pro-
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993
cessing, and data fusion to the cru-
cial issues concerning the reliable
acquisition of information from the
roadway.
ATR has also attracted the atten-
tion of industry. Currently, about a
dozen agreements exist, or are pend-
ing, between ATR and the industrial
firms, both large and small, who see
a commercial advantage in such a
partnership. Among the companies
represented in such agreements are
JHK Associates, Barton-Aschmann,
Hughes, Rockwell, Santa Fe Indus-
tries, General Atomic, IRD, and IBM.
Some of these companies have set
up offices in New Mexico to associ-
ate themselves more closely with the
available resources.
ATR has illuminated the need for
a proactive position regarding trans-
portation and air quality. In Barcel-
ona—during the Olympic Games—
and in Mexico City, ATR partners
demonstrated that the means exist to
physically characterize air pollution
in urban areas and to examine feasi-
ble remedial measures. This demon-
stration has led to an ATR proposal
for a National Center for Transport-
ation and Air Quality.
To link more effectively with the
transportation research community,
ATR has also reached out to other
organizations. A program for
research associates allows specific
complementary capabilities to join
with ATR in seeking solutions to
transportation problems. ATR
recently established associate rela-
tionships with Princeton University,
Georgia Institute of Technology, the
University of Florida, the University
of Minnesota, and the New Mexico
Institute of Mining and Technology.
In addition, ATR has established an
agreement with the FHWA's Turner-
Fairbank Highway Research Center
(TFHRC) to exchange staff for specif-
ic, mutually beneficial purposes. At
this writing, three one-week exchan-
ges have taken place.
Los Alamos National
Laboratory andthe |
University of California
We focus on Los Alamos as a spe-
cific member of ATR to illustrate, in
somewhat more depth, the contribu-
tion such an institution can make to
transportation research.
The Los Alamos National
Laboratory is operated for DOE by
the University of California (UC),
which actually employs the staff of
the laboratory. This relationship has
existed since the Manhattan Project,
which began in 1943 to construct the
first atomic bomb. Since then, the
laboratory has adopted a broad char-
ter to address problems important to
national security, which includes eco-
nomic competitiveness and the effec-
tive use of energy. As a Federally
Funded Research & Development
Center (FFRDC), Los Alamos is pro-
hibited from competing with industry
and, therefore, from bidding on pro-
curements, unless specifically invited
to do so by the sponsor. Oversight
of the laboratory is in the hands of
DOE, and scientific and technical
excellence are assured through the
relationship with UC.
Specific Projects
In the following paragraphs, we
briefly review some ongoing projects
of interest to FHWA. These reviews
are presented as progress statements
because, in most cases, the funding
has only recently been secured.
Policy and planning
Public policy is based on planning
to achieve benefits demanded by the
public. Decision-oriented planning
provides planners with the informa-
tion they need to make effective deci-
sions. (7) An important and imperfect
part of the decision-making process is
the assessment of consequences of
decisions. Transportation is a compli-
cated system that involves both the
details of individual behavior and the
macroscopic properties of the econo-
my, the environment, and public safe-
ty. Using its modeling and simulation
capabilities, Los Alamos has embarked
on an ambitious project to simulate
the transportation system and subsys-
tems and to use these simulations to
examine the consequences of deci-
sions faced by local, regional, and
national planners. Such decisions
may involve factors such as land use,
vehicle or roadway component tech-
nologies, restrictions on traffic, or
alternative fuels. The goal of the pro-
ject is to produce a TRansportation
ANalysis SIMulation System (TRAN-
SIMS) that will advance the state of
the art in simulation technology to the
benefit of the transportation policy,
planning, and engineering communities.
The approach to the problem is to
integrate the process of transportation
system design and analysis by devel-
oping an integrated suite of models
and simulations. We intend to devel-
op techniques that produce multi-
and intermodal trip routing plans for
individual loads with travel require-
ments. These “load-oriented” tech-
niques will be developed to interface
with emerging activity-based travel
demand analytic methods. The trip
routing plans will be coupled with a
detailed microsimulation of the vehi-
cles attempting to execute their plans
Page 23
ARYANS
~- Traffic
Phenomena
RRO ss~n~4q~~qnqsy-F
w
wv
~ ww
SEY
KRHA KKKKHAAHHAAHRY
MPLILELLSELPLSALLSSTELS SELES S ESL,
xs
N SSS SS
N N
N ey
St co og ae pr N “a
4 - ‘S ~ i
Vehicle Movement o>" N
7
pe ‘ ‘os
Simulation .-%.°"
Rrra” ao
. SS
xen Coe
~n*
RON DEE OSS YSV SSS SSSA SSA SSA AAA SS ESS SS SSA SASS SSSA SSSA SS SSS
Ore
MOM. >
NAY
ets
ys ELS TEE A I
4
+ My, Liss
Environment
LLL LE LEEL ELLE LLL
PWARAARAAARARAARARARARARR
Meg
SEL: RE ES 6A
SS
7 ans pe A
f/, Eeqnomics 77
AMIYYTIIIITIISISISSSTSSS 1 Sf %
LULITTLTTTSSETSSSSSSLSSS
\S
~~
& scchpnea as Y
4
Z
Z
Z
Z
4
High-level architecture of the Transportation Analysis and System (TRANSIMS) being devel-
oped at Los Alamos. Fundamental data, vehicle characteristics, and trip sets are contained at
the component level. Information is generated at other levels according to the problem being
investigated.
in a particular geographic area. The
data output from the vehicle micro-
simulations include the vehicle-byve-
hicle movement dynamics, the vehi-
cle mechanical state, and the control
logic state, both in space and in time.
These low-level data can be used, for
example, to produce accurate pollu-
tion load terms for predicting air
quality, to indicate the severity of an
accident in terms of momentum dif-
ferences, and to obtain other forms of
"higher-level" information. Large
urban regions represent the geo-
graphical scale for which the TRAN-
SIMS simulation capability eventually
will be applicable.
TRANSIMS is an ambitious project
that will take years to complete and
will require the cooperative efforts
of modelers both inside and outside
the transportation community. For
the first year's effort, we have begun
to design and demonstrate proof of
principle of the essential TRANSIMS
elements. We are developing proto-
type route planning and microsimu-
lation software, and we are assessing
scaling issues in the TRANSIMS
approach.
Neural network
computational techniques
applied to traffic
monitoring and automatic
vehicle classification
Los Alamos is executing a proof-
of-principle demonstration of the
value of neural network computa-
tional techniques to the application
A scientist doing transportation analysis with a developing version of the TRANSIMS frame-
work.
Page 24
of traffic volume and classification
monitoring. Artificial neural net-
works are a relatively new computa-
tional approach—motivated by bio-
logic neurological systems—that uses
networks of identical processing ele-
ments for learning inductively from
data base examples. Such networks
are effective in performing tasks
such as signal processing; pattern
recognition; feature extraction and
classification; and the modeling, pre-
diction, and control of complex,
nonlinear systems. (2) These net-
works function in a manner similar
to that of a conventional clustering
algorithm, but with detailed architec-
tural implementation and training
algorithm differences that are moti-
vated by current neural-network
computational techniques. (3)
The goal in monitoring traffic is to
determine the volume and the types
of vehicles that are using existing
streets and roadways. (4) Such data
are valuable for managing and con-
trolling traffic and for planning the
maintenance and design of the high-
way infrastructure. Accomplishing
this goal will require that many low-
cost monitoring stations be instru-
mented for continuous, reliable data
collection and reporting.
Included among the widely used
traffic monitoring sensors are piezo-
electric strip detectors and magnetic
inductive-loop detectors. A typical
traffic monitoring station includes an
array of such detectors, configured
in sets (such as piezo-loop-piezo or
loop-piezo-loop) that are deployed
in one or several highway lanes.
The process of converting the elec-
trical signals from detector arrays
into vehicle classification data is dif-
ficult and is subject to the following
potential errors:
¢ Nonreproducible sensor signals
that depend on such uncontrolled
factors as vehicle and sensor con-
struction, and vehicle, sensor,
installation, and environmental
conditions.
e Intermittent or continuous sensor
or electronic failures.
e Traffic flow anomalies, such as
lane-positioning, vehicle transi-
tions, or highly variable speeds.
This project was conceived to
address the several operational diffi-
culties that lead to unreliable data
and to provide:
¢ Increased volume and classifica-
tion accuracy.
e Automatic screening and rejection
of anomalies.
¢ Self-calibration and drift compen-
sation within a designated range.
¢ Self-detection and diagnosis of
sensor and recording-system faults.
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER e 1993
e Automatic attention notification.
If these objectives can be met, a
substantial improvement in traffic
monitoring will be possible.
Los Alamos is designing and field-
ing experimental sensor test sites,
examining typical conventional sen-
sor signals, and instrumenting traffic
monitoring test sites. Our initial test
site, located near Los Alamos on
state Route 4, was designed and
constructed with redundant arrays of
conventional sensors. The NMSHTD
installed the sensors for this site and
will install other developmental sen-
sors in the future.
An approach to weigh-in-
motion
Because of the severe damage
caused to public roads by overweight
trucks, federal, state, and local gov-
ernment agencies are concerned
with overweight vehicle violations.
The preferred method for measuring
the weight of a vehicle is to measure
it at highway speeds. (This method
is most desirable because it places a
very low compliance burden on
legal truck traffic.) Weigh-in-motion
instruments typically require exten-
sive roadway modifications and,
thus, tend to be very expensive.
During the late 1980s, Los Alamos
scientists, working on the instrumen-
tation to verify compliance with
arms reduction treaties, used fiber
optics interferometry to develop
weigh-in-motion sensors that do not
require any roadway modifications
because they are installed at the side
of the road. These sensors are
potentially much less expensive than
current commercial sensors.
As a moving vehicle drives over
the surface of a road, the pavement
and the ground beneath it deform
slightly, depending, primarily, on the
weight of the vehicle. Then, as the
vehicle moves on, the deformed
pavement and the ground return to
their original shapes. Because these
deformations have both vertical and
lateral components, sensors buried
ATR sensor test site #1 where sensors and
power were installed by the New Mexico
State Highway and Transportation
Department.
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993
Vehicle Signatures - 5 MPH
1600
1400-1 Cable Sensor
i 4
M1 Tank 1
! ;
1200
M60 Tank
1000
| PU Truck
ro M114 APC
5 800 |
: i :
= Background Noise f ih d
> ‘cha
= 6004
i
200-4 ey
oO
Sn eet
IRI
Time, sec
Data from fiber-optic sensor tests on various military vehicles at White Sands Missile Range.
The apparent noise on the heavier treaded vehicles is actually the signatures of the individual
treads. The fringe counts on the ordinate of the plot are the signal amplitudes given by the opti-
cal interferometer and indicate the large dynamic range of the system.
at the side of the road can make
weigh-in-motion measurements
based on the lateral deformations.
Although imperceptible to the
human eye and to most instrumenta-
tion, these deformations are large
relative to the wavelength of light.
Thus, fiber-optic sensors and optical
interferometry, which measure dis-
placements with resolutions in wave-
lengths of light, enable such road-
side measurements.
During the 1980s, the laboratory
was faced with the problem of iden-
tifying various types of armored
vehicles (tanks, etc.) moving in a
stream of other vehicles. The idea
was to install the fiber-optic sensors
and optical interferometric instru-
mentation in the former Warsaw Pact
countries to count the armored vehi-
cles as they moved in and out of the
depots and maintenance facilities.
These counts were to be used to
verify compliance with the treaties
that had been negotiated with the
former Soviet Union. The instru-
mentation was required to identify
armored vehicles by weight as they
moved in streams of regular traffic,
to avoid any interference with the
traffic flow, and to operate unattend-
ed. The roadside installation satis-
fied all of these requirements.
In 1991, Los Alamos tested the
instrumentation on various military
vehicles at White Sands Missile
Range. Under Los Alamos supervi-
sion, the NMSHTD installed similar
sensors near a busy intersection in
Albuquerque as part of a traffic and
air quality study.
eek ,
eS
= STS
A fiber-optic sensor being emplaced at a
busy intersection in Albuquerque.
Nondestructive evaluation
of bridges
Because of traffic safety consider-
ations, the Rio Grande bridges on
Interstate 40 in Albuquerque are
being replaced with wider, pre-
stressed concrete girder bridges.
The 30-year-old existing bridges are
fracture-critical, two-girder steel
designs, typical of many two-girder
designs built in the 1960s and 1970s.
The fracture-critical classification
indicates a lack of redundancy in the
structural design and means that the
failure of either of the primary plate
girders would result in a catastrophic
failure of the bridge. The existing
spans are scheduled to be razed in
Page 25
Finite element mesh for computing dynamic
characteristics of the I-40 bridges being
razed in Albuquerque.
the summer of 1993. But before
these structures are demolished,
New Mexico State University and Los
Alamos National Laboratory
researchers will apply various state-
of-the-art nondestructive test meth-
ods to one of the structures as vari-
ous levels of damage are introduced
into the plate girders. This planned
destruction will advance the state of
the art in nondestructive evaluation
(NDE) techniques.
In support of this research effort,
Los Alamos will develop detailed
numerical models of the bridge and
correlate the numerically predicted
responses of the bridge with the
observed physical responses. The
advanced computing facility at Los
Alamos will be instrumental in devel-
oping these models and analyses.
The numerical models will be
used to determine the static and
dynamic structural properties of the
bridge. Los Alamos will use the
results from the preliminary experi-
ments conducted on the bridge to
verify the numerical models. The
predicted responses will be correlat-
ed with the measured results from
the actual structure. We anticipate
that the numerical models will have
to be refined after we measure the
experimental responses of the
bridge. When benchmarked, these
computer models will be used to
benchmark other, simpler microcom-
puter-based numerical models, and
the benefits of this research will be
readily available to others in the
NDE community.
Throughout the research effort,
the computer models will be used to
determine location of the instrumen-
tation, required sensitivity, and the
safety implications of introducing
damage into the structure.
Recent measurements and
demonstrations by Los Alamos
National Laboratory, in collaboration
with a variety of other organizations,
have shown LIDAR to be a powerful
tool for measuring air quality associ-
ated with vehicle emissions. Exper-
imental campaigns conducted in
Mexico City, Mexico; Barcelona,
Spain; and Albuquerque have locat-
ed sources of pollution, tracked the
movement of aerosols, and located
mixing layer boundaries as a func-
tion of time and traffic conditions.
LIDAR is an acronym for Light
Detection And Ranging (or laser
radar). When a short pulse of laser
light is emitted through the atmos-
phere, the light interacts with aerosol
molecules and is then scattered back
to the receiving telescope and detec-
tors, which are usually located with
the transmitting laser. The distance
LIDAR laser beam reaching out over a region of Mexico City to document air pollution sources.
Page 26
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER e 1993
from the LIDAR unit can be deter-
mined by timing the pulse return.
The elevation and azimuth directions
of the unit determine the location of
the scattering aerosol particles.
Different types of LIDAR systems
are used for different purposes. The
simple scattering systems (usually in
the infrared) that observe light scat-
tered back to the detector at the
same wavelength (or color) as the
laser will locate the aerosols, but
they will not identify the species of
the molecules doing the scattering.
These systems have a longer range
than the others because their infra-
red wavelengths of light are trans-
mitted through the atmosphere with
a minimum of absorption.
Two other types of LIDAR sys-
tems use Raman scattering and fluo-
rescence to identify the species of
molecules being located. These sys-
tems, which often use ultraviolet
lasers, have shorter ranges because
of atmospheric absorption and,
often, can detect very low concen-
trations of fluorescent chemicals. In
some cases, less than two parts per
million have been observed.
The most versatile type of LIDAR
system is the DIAL, or Differential
Absorption Lidar system. This sys-
tem uses two different wavelengths
of laser light, one of which is tun-
able. The fixed wavelength is cho-
sen so that there is very little atmos-
pheric absorption; the tunable wave-
length varies across the absorption
bands of the molecules being mea-
sured. Thus, the DIAL system can
identify most molecules. The wave-
length requirements, however, make
this system more complicated and
more expensive than the others.
Several of the simple scattering
LIDAR systems Los Alamos has are
mobile or portable. One is the size
of a large footlocker and weighs
about 150 pounds, and some others
are mounted in mobile vans. These
systems have been used in various
cities to locate sources of pollution
aerosols and to track the movement
of the aerosol clouds. Original data
are color coded to show the variable
intensities of aerosol concentration.
Other data have been taken to mea-
sure the location of the mixing layer
boundaries. These boundaries show
where the more polluted near-sur-
face air is trapped. The correlation
of these data with data on traffic
movement and traffic congestion lev-
els could provide substantive infor-
mation on pollution levels and
sources and on possible corrective
measures.
Locker-sized LIDAR equipment used in the Barcelona air quality measurements .
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER e 1993
Los Alamos is developing smaller
versions of these systems, as well as
other environmental monitoring
techniques.
Conclusion
ATR is rapidly organizing state,
national, and private resources to
address important transportation
research issues. The national labora-
tories' contributions in this effort
eliminate much of the risk associated
with applying this new technology.
Our goal is to assist DOT with
improvements in environment, effi-
ciency, and safety through the devel-
opment and application of new tech-
nologies.
The following Los Alamos scientists
contributed to this article: Chris Barrett,
TRANSIMS; William Mead, automatic
vehicle classification; Thomas Kuckerts,
weigh-in-motion; Charles Farrar, NDE;
and Dennis Gill, LIDAR.
References
(1) Michael D. Meyer and Eric J. Miller.
Urban Transportation Planning, A
Decision-Oriented Approach, McGraw
Hill, New York, 1984.
(2) P.D. Wasserman. Neural Computing,
Theory and Practice, Van Nostrand
Reinhold, New York, 1989.
(3) B.D. Jones, Y.C. Lee, $. Qian, C.W.
Barnes, et al. “Nonlinear Adaptive
Networks: A Little Theory, A Few
Applications,” in Proceedings of the First
Los Alamos Conference on Cognitive
Modeling in System Control, Santa Fe,
New Mexico, June 10-14, 1990.
(4) Traffic Monitoring Guide, Federal
Highway Administration, Washington,
DG; June 1985:
(5) W.C. Mead, P.S. Bowling, S.K.
Brown, R.D. Jones, et al. “Optimization
and Control of a Small-Angle Negative
Ion Source Using an On-line Adaptive
Controller Based on the Connectionist
Normalized Local Spline Network,”
Nuclear Instruments and Methods, B72
C1992 27 1:
Daniel S. Metzger is program
director for transportation pro-
grams at Los Alamos National
Laboratory and leader of the
Mechanical and Electronic
Engineering Division. A veteran of
many field operations ranging from
the Nevada desert to Alaska and
the Samoan islands, Dr. Metzger
has a background in sensor sys-
tems and signal processing. He
has served in several management
positions at Los Alamos for the
past 15 years. He earned his doc-
torate from The Ohio State
University. After teaching for a
year, he joined the staff at Los
Alamos and became acquainted
with field operations and instru-
mentation.
Page 27
= OO
eh
This paper incorporates opening
remarks presented at the Society for
Automotive Engineers International
Congress and Exposition held in Detroit
Michigan, on March 1-5, 1993. The
author was a cochairperson on a session
on side-impact collisions.
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) seeks to
improve highway safety by improving
the crashworthiness of motor vehicles.
In recent years NHTSA and the auto-
mobile industry have been involved in
studying side-impact issues. These
studies have focused on vehicle-to-
vehicle side impacts and the injuries
associated with such collisions.
The Federal Highway Administra-
tion (FHWA) seeks to improve high-
way safety through the design, con-
» hs ab ORORS 2 VS ae
At the Federal Outdoor Impact Laboratory, a car is crashed into a guardrail terminal as part of a
series of tests on side impacts.
Page 28 PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER e 1993
Al
struction, and maintenance of safer
highways. For the past decade,
FHWA has been studying the side
impact issues from a roadside safety
hardware perspective. We are cur-
rently focused on side impacts into
narrow objects such as trees, utility
poles, sign and light supports, and
guardrail terminals.
While there has been some
exchange of ideas within the agen-
cies at the working level, both agen-
cies and the automobile industry
have largely pursued their respec-
tive interests independently. Efforts
to work together have been ham-
pered because of the limited infor-
mation available on side-impacts
into narrow objects, the lack of a
common scientific basis for sharing
information, and a lack of under-
standing of highway design prac-
tices. To overcome these problems,
FHWA, through the Federal
Outdoor Impact Laboratory (FOIL),
conducted a series of side impact
tests into narrow objects. The
results of these tests are available in
four reports. (7,2,3,4) The data
provide valuable information on
side impacts into narrow objects,
including the performance of small
cars when impacting existing road-
side safety hardware. The number
of fatalities and the severity of
injuries mandate that the agencies
and industry work closely together
to design automobile and roadside
safety hardware as a system.
A quick glance at some statistical
data will show that each agency's per-
spective is important. Data on fatali-
ties are from the Fatal Accident
Reporting System (FARS) and all other
data are from the National Accident
Sampling System (NASS) Continuous
Sampling System (CSS). There are
also some differences in the way FARS
and NASS data are coded. For exam-
ple, the NASS CSS does not contain
most harmful event data. However,
the general trends are accurate.
Table 1 shows the seriousness of
fixed-object and overturn-most-
harmful events. (5) Both fixed
object and overturn (as well as
pedestrian/cyclists) account for a
greater percentage of total fatalities
than they do of total injuries. Fixed
objects account for 21 percent of all
fatalities and 15 percent of all
injuries. Overturns account for 15
percent of all fatalities and 6 percent
of all injuries. By comparison vehi-
cle-to-vehicle collisions account for a
smaller percent of total fatalities (40
percent) than they do of total
injuries (51 percent).
Table 2 lists all of the fatalities of
Table 1 in which the first harmful
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993
Side impact into a utility pole was part of the FOIL testing.
Page 29
event is outside the highway shoulder.
(5) This is the roadside safety prob-
lem. Note that 72 percent of all over-
turns (4,820 out of 6,698) occur on the
roadside. Fixed-object collisions con-
stitute 56 percent of the roadside fatal-
ities. This paper does not discuss
overturns (rollovers), but they too are
a serious problem both for NHTSA
(crashworthiness) and FHWA (design).
Roadside hazard, fixed-object col-
lisions can be further broken down
by the region of impact where the
vehicle struck the fixed object.
Table 3 shows that in both the FARS
and the NASS data, the roadside-haz-
ard, fixed-object, side-impact catego-
ry represents 25 percent of the total
fixed-object roadside safety problem.
The roadside hazard, fixed-object,
side-impact problem is broken down
by vehicle type in Table 4. Table 5
shows that most passenger car crash-
es involve narrow objects such as
trees, utility poles, sign and light
supports, and guardrail terminals.
In summary, approximately
160,000 people are involved in acci-
dents where the side of the passen-
ger car impacts a fixed roadside
object such as a tree, utility pole,
light support, etc. More than 1,600
occupants—about one in 100—are
killed. The annual cost to society is
$3 billion each year.
Given the magnitude of the prob-
lem, serious thought must be given to
reducing this tragedy. NHTSA,
FHWA, and the automobile industry
must recognize that the vehicle and
the roadway cannot be treated sepa-
rately. The crashworthiness of cars
and the design of roadside safety
hardware represents a system.
Table 5.—Type of fixed object stru
Page 30
Treatment of the vehicle and the
roadway as a system means that many
of the concepts that have been used
in the past must be re-examined. It
may be that the current notions favor-
ing redirection when cars impact
guardrails and roadside safety hard-
ware that breaks away on impact
need to be re-examined. It may also
mean that the current dynamic side-
impact test standard, Federal Motor
Safety Standard (FMVSS) 214, should
include a car-to-fixed object test as
well as the current car-to-car test.
Additional work on side impacts
into fixed objects is planned by
FHWA. It is anticipated that much of
the work will be coordinated with
NHTSA with three ideas in mind.
First, FHWA, NHTSA, and the auto-
mobile industry need to agree on a
standard set of analytic tools so that
data can be shared and understood.
Secondly, there needs to be a stan-
dard vehicle adopted by FHWA,
NHTSA, and the automobile industry
that can be used for the design of
roadside appurtenances under side-
impact conditions. Such a vehicle
should represent the best thinking on
how future vehicles will be construct-
ed. Third, the design of roadside safe-
ty appurtenances may require
changes in both existing hardware
and automobile side structure.
It is anticipated that this additional
work will build on two joint
FHWA/NHTSA initiatives that are
now underway. FHWA/NHTSA
have signed an interagency agree-
ment with the Department of Energy
to have the Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory (LLNL) adapt the
non-linear finite element code
DYNASD to simulate crash impacts.
LLNL are developers of the DYNA3D
code. In addition, FHWA and
NHTSA are jointly funding the
National Crash Analysis Center
(NCAC) located on the George
Washington University Virginia
Campus. The NCAC maintains all
FHWA and NHTSA crash films and
uses these films for crash analyses,
including side impacts. Finally, the
side-impact crash tests supporting
this program will be conducted at
FOIL. FOIL is located at the Turner-
Fairbank Highway Research Center
in McLean, Virginia, and has a
unique capability to conduct side-
impact tests into narrow objects.
References
(1) J.A. Finch, J.A. Hansen, M.W.
Hargrave, and D.R. Stout. Full-Scale Side-
Impact Testing, Publication No. FHWA-
RD-89-157, Federal Highway
Administration, Washington, D.C.,
February 1989.
(2) L.A. Troxel, M.H. Ray, and J.F.
Carney, III. Accident Data Analysis of
Side-Impact Fixed-Object Collision,
Publication No. FHWA-RD-91-122,
Federal Highway Administration,
Washington, D.C., May 1993.
(3) M.H. Ray and J.F. Carney, III. Side-
Impact Test and Evaluation Procedures
for Roadside Structures Crash Tests,
Publication No. FHWA-RD-92-062,
Federal Highway Administration,
Washington, D.C., April 1993.
(4) M.H. Ray and J.P. Carney, III. Side -
Impact Crash Testing of Roadside
Structures, Publication No. FHWA-RD-
92-079, Federal Highway Administration,
Washington, D.C., April 1993.
(5) J.G. Viner. “Harmful Events in
Crashes,” Accident Analysis and
Prevention, Volume 25, Number 2, April
1993, pp. 139-45.
Jerry A. Reagan is chief of the
Design Concepts Research Division,
Office of the Associate Administrator
for Research and Development,
Federal Highway Administration
(FHWA) at the Turner-Fairbank
Highway Research Center (TFHRC) in
McLean, VA. Prior to that assignment,
he served as the chief of the Safety
Traffic Implementation Division. He
has had a variety of experiences with
FHWA, beginning in 1967 as a materi-
als engineer. Later he was assigned
to Region 15 as a soils and foundation
engineer. In 1973, he transferred to
the Office of Environmental Policy at
FHWA headquarters where he
worked for 10 years. Then he moved
to TFHRC as the state programs offi-
cer of the National Institute of
Highways where he was responsible
for the NHI short-course program.
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993
rrr ace
“Along the Road” is a hodgepodge of items of general
interest to the highway community. But this is more than
a miscellaneous section ; “Along the Road” is the place to
look for information about current and upcoming activi-
ties, developments, and trends. Your suggestions and
input are welcome. Let’s meet along the road.
The New Public Roads
If you are a regular reader of Public Roads, you
have already noticed that something is very different
about the look of this issue. The magazine is looking
forward to better serving you in the future, and one
way to do that is to recapture an important element
from its past. We want Public Roads to once again be
a forum for the discussion of current problems. We
solicit your comments and your input. We recognize
that there is a great deal of important and innovative
highway-related work being done throughout the
United States. Let us hear from you. Let us know
what topics you would like covered in the magazine.
“Instructions to Authors” on the inside back cover pro-
vides our address and telephone number as well as
information about writing for Public Roads. However,
there are two caveats: We will focus on subjects rele-
vant to the mission and work of the Federal Highway
Administration, and research and technology will
remain our foundation.
New FHWA Leaders Take Charge
On May 28, Rodney E. Slater was confirmed by the
U.S. Senate to become the administrator of the Federal
Highway Administration. Slater's formal swearing-in
ceremony was conducted on June 16. Slater was for-
merly the chairman of the Arkansas State Highway
Commission and a member of the American
Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials’ Executive Committee of Commissions and
Boards. He was awarded the 1990 Arkansas Transit
Association’s “Arkansas Public Transportation
Advocate Award” for his efforts as a staunch advocate
for greater investment in transportation to stimulate
the economy. Earlier in his career, Slater served as an
assistant attorney general for Arkansas and was a key
member of the governor’s staff, serving as executive
assistant for economic and community programs. He
graduated from the University of Arkansas School of
Law in 1980.
Slater also served on the Arkansas Sesquicentennial
Commission and as liaison with the Martin Luther King
Jr. Federal Holiday Commission. He is secretary-treasur-
er of the Arkansas Bar Association. In December 1989,
he was named an “Arkansas Hero” in the Arkansas
Times magazine for his work to improve conditions in
the Delta. He was also honored by the Arkansas
Jaycees as one of the “Ten Outstanding Young
Arkansans” in March 1990.
Jane F. Garvey has been selected by Secretary of
Transportation Federico Pena to serve as deputy admin-
istrator of FHWA. From 1991 to her selection as deputy
administrator, Garvey was director of aviation at Logan
International Airport in Boston, directing airport man-
agement and capital planning. In 1988, after serving
five years as the associate commissioner, she became
commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of
ALONG THE ROAD :
Public Works, the agency responsible for construction
and maintenance of the statewide network of highways,
bridges, and roadside areas. As the commissioner, she
was responsible for developing innovative public and
private financing and new environmental programs for
the agency, and she oversaw all aspects of Boston’s $5
billion Central Artery/Tunnel project.
Rodney E. Slater is the new FHWA Administrator.
Colorado Orders Drivers to “Move It”
On May 6, Colorado Governor Romer signed into law
a congestion/incident management-related bill that
requires drivers to move their vehicles from an accident
scene if the accident occurs on “the traveled portion,
median, or ramp of a divided highway.” The “move it”
bill, patterned after similar laws in Florida and Texas,
does not apply if a vehicle is too badly damaged to be
driven or if either driver is under the influence of alco-
hol or drugs.
Howard Transportation Information Center
Dedicated
Dedication ceremonies were held for the James and
Marlene Howard Transportation Information Center at
Monmouth College in New Jersey on May 7. The cen-
ter, which was funded last year with a $2,242,000 grant
under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency
Act, is known on campus as Howard Hall, and it is the
new home of the School of Information Sciences and
Technology. The school is designed to foster research
in computer science, electronic engineering, software
engineering, and communications technology and to
provide links for technology transfers between academic
institutions and industry.
SNE EEEee eee.
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993
Page 31
I-80/National Commercial Vehicle Program Meeting
Held in Kansas City
FHWA Region 7 hosted an I-80/National Commercial
Vehicle Program meeting in Kansas City on May 5 and
6. Approximately 53 representatives from state agen-
cies, motor carrier industry, and FHWA attended. The
purpose of the meeting was to present the concepts of
the National Commercial Vehicle Program and how the
I-80 states could participate. The Iowa Department of
Transportation agreed to take the lead in forming a
coalition of I-80 states to participate in the program and
in organizing a meeting in October to further develop
the coalition structure and a commercial vehicle opera-
tions business plan.
The services of the National Commercial Vehicle
Program include one-stop shopping; preclearing trucks
for “credentials. “size ~and “weight. and \ssatety:
reporting/audit trail; fleet management; international
cross-border; and hazardous materials incident
response.
States Await Guidance on Converting Highway
Signs to Metric Units
The Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act
required federal government agencies to use the metric
system in procurements, grants, and other business-
related activities, except to the extent that such use is
impractical or would likely cause significant inefficien-
cies. Several states have requested specific direction on
how to proceed with their planned metric signing pro-
jects and with routine sign refurbishment projects. To
assist in finding answers to some Sign format questions,
FHWA has recently approved Manual on Uniform
Traffic Control Devices—Section 1A-6—experimentation
in Florida and Kentucky.
Meeting on Environmental Analysis in
Transportation Set for July
The annual meeting of Transportation Research
Board Committee A1F02 is being held this year in
Seattle, Washington, hosted by the Washington State
Department of Transportation. The meeting will be
held July 20-23, 1993, at The Westin Hotel in downtown
Seattle. The goal of this national meeting of transporta-
tion environmental officials is to provide a forum to dis-
cuss research and practices that will improve the man-
agement of environmental process and policy in trans-
portation design. Attendees from across the United
States and Canada are expected.
This year’s program includes presentations on the
implementation in the state of Washington of ISTEA,
Clean Air Act amendments, and the state’s Growth
Management Act; wetland banking; and public involve-
ment using interactive computer imaging. There will
also be a tour of one of the last completed stretches of
I-90, addressing mitigation for historic structures and
other environmental impacts.
Florida Enforces Seat Belt Law
In April, the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) began a
stepped-up effort to enforce Florida’s safety belt law.
The objective is to increase safety belt use in Florida
from 58 percent to 70 percent. During the first week of
a three-week intensive, statewide campaign, FHP issued
7,886 warnings and 1,577 citations for safety belt viola-
tions. Additionally, 250 warnings and 107 tickets were
issued for failing to use child car seats. FHP’s new
director, Col. Ronald Grimming, patterned this effort
after a successful campaign in Illinois, where he was
formerly the deputy director of the state police.
Second U.S./Japan Workshop Promotes Cooperation
The second U.S./Japan Workshop on Advanced
Technology for Highway Engineering was held in Japan
on April 20-23. Representatives of FHWA’s Intelligent
Vehicle-Highway Systems Division participated. The
workshop was part of an agreement between the United
States and Japan on “Cooperation in Research and
Development in Science and Technology.” A specific
agreement was signed in May 1992 by the U.S.
Department of Transportation and the Japanese Ministry
of Construction to promote, encourage, and advance
highway transportation through research, development,
and cooperation. The first workshop was conducted
from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2, 1992.
New Jersey Initiates Innovative CMAQ Project
In cooperation with the Northeast States Ozone
Transport Commission, the New Jersey Department of
Transportation in a joint effort with the state environ-
mental agency, has launched a comprehensive commu-
nications effort to educate the public on the impact of
motor vehicle emissions on air quality and on ways to
reduce these emissions. The 16-month campaign has
four themes: cars pollute, drive clean, go with cleaner
cars and fuel, and tune up to clean up. These themes
will be introduced one at a time at four-month intervals.
Communication materials for each theme will be mar-
keted to appropriate audiences. Federal Congestion
Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program fund-
ing in the amount of $250,000 has been approved for
this effort, and the Division Office Planning Unit has
also initiated an overture to have the Technology
Transfer Center assist in this project through its newslet-
ter to local governments.
Kentucky Motorists Face Triple Jeopardy
On May 26, Kentucky kicked off a new statewide high-
way safety program called “Triple Jeopardy.” If a motorist
is stopped for speeding, drunk driving, or not wearing a
seat belt, the motorist will be checked for all three viola-
tions. The program is patterned after a program devel-
oped by the Knoxville (Tenn.) Police Department.
Louisiana I-310 Project Wins Award
The recently opened I-310 section constructed by T.L.
James & Company Inc. was recently awarded the presti-
gious 1992 Build America Award in the Highway
Division category. This award recognizes excellence in
the construction industry. The almost two-mile section
of I-310 consisted of twin bridges built through environ-
mentally sensitive, protected wetlands. There were no
alternative corridors. The structures were built using
“end-on” construction techniques with each section
being built from the previous section from the top
down. This difficult and unique project was completed
well ahead of schedule enabling the complete I-310 cor-
ridor to be opened on May 7.
Star (*) DUI Program Works in Colorado
The Colorado Department of Transportation reports
that more than 1,200 suspected drunk drivers were
MNES RR EAE NE A EE SAO SAS EE SAR, ALE SSN AES ARE OLY A A I RR RR RST 2 AL IS A ES AAR A A SE AS A
Page 32
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER e 1993
— a Ee
SAA ST NEL TP SINE SD TB AL IOYEIE PRE YL PEL TEP Eee
reported to law enforcement agencies by Colorado
motorists in the first three months of 1993. More than
one-fourth of the reports were made from cellular tele-
phones using the “* DUI” number.
North Carolina Selects Route for I-73
On May 11, North Carolina officials announced the
selection of the route of I-73 through the state. I-73, a
new north-south interstate highway between Charleston,
S.C., and Detroit, Mich., was included in the Intermodal
Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991.
I-73 will enter North Carolina on I-77 at the Virginia
state line in Surry County. It will use I-77 to the U.S. 52
Connector north of Pine Ridge and then use U.S. 52
through Stokes and Forsyth counties to U.S. 311 in
Winston-Salem. From there, the highway will use U.S.
311 through Guilford and Randolph counties to U.S. 220
north of Asheboro. From there, the interstate will use
U.S. 220 through, Randolph, Montgomery, and
Richmond counties to U.S. 1 in Rockingham and then
exit the state on U.S. 1 at the South Carolina state line.
Except for the I-77 segment in Surry County, none of
the highways to be used for I-73 are built to interstate
standards. Although those are scheduled in the N.C.
Department of Transportation’s Transportation
Improvement Program to be upgraded to multilane high-
ways, additional funds will be required to bring them to
interstate standards. Existing state and federal funds will
be used since no additional funding for I-73 in North
Carolina was designated in the federal legislation.
Asphalt Binder Equipment Circulates Through
RMUPG
The Federal Highway Administration is continuing to
monitor and support the education and training of state
department of transportation personnel in the use of the
new Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP)
asphalt binder equipment. The equipment and tests
developed by SHRP are expected to replace the older,
less accurate, and less scientific asphalt binder tests for
classifying asphalt cements. Currently, one trailer con-
taining the binder equipment is being circulated through
the states in the Rocky Mountain User-Producer Group,
which generally corresponds to FHWA Region 8. On
May 28, the trailer was moved from Wyoming to North
Dakota, where it will remain for six weeks. The trailer
has already visited Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah;
after North Dakota, the trailer will visit Montana, Idaho,
and the Canadian province of Alberta before the equip-
ment is returned to the Central Federal. Lands Office in
Denver.
Incident Management Conferences Held Across the
Country
On May 14, National Incident Management Coalition
sponsored a conference in New Orleans with about 220
participants representing state and local agencies that
operate roadways, causeways, bridges, ferries, and tran-
sit facilities and services. This was the 11th major con-
ference on incident management conducted over the
past 18 months as part of a series jointly funded by the
Federal Highway Administration and others to promote
better handling of freeway accidents and other inci-
dents. As a result of these conferences, some measures
have already been taken to prevent and clear incidents
and to assure traffic movement. At least five more con-
ferences are planned; they will be held in Milwaukee,
St. Louis, Princeton, Las Vegas, and Phoenix.
University Transportation Centers Program
Expands
Three new University Transportation Centers have
been established since the passage of the Intermodal
Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991; this brings
the total number of centers in the program to 13. In
addition, the Federal Highway Administration has
revised the roles of its headquarters and field offices in
interacting technically with the centers. The three new
centers are:
National Center for Transportation and
Industrial Productivity
Center for Transportation Studies and Research
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Newark, N.J. 07102
Contact: Louis J. Pignataro, (201) 596-3355
National Center for Transportation Management,
Research, and Development
School of Graduate Studies
Morgan State University
Baltimore, Md. 21239
Contact: Frank E. Enty, (410) 319-3666
Mack-Blackwell National Rural Transportation
Study Center
4190 Bell Engineering Center
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Ark. 72701
Contact: E. Walter LeFevre, (501) 575-7957
Additionally, the program has established the
University Transportation Centers Clearinghouse under
the direction of Ann Marie Quinn. The clearinghouse’s
address is The Pennsylvania State University, Research
Office Building, University Park, Pa. 16802-4710. The
telephone number is (814) 863-3614.
Within FHWA, field offices have been given the lead
in technical interaction on highway-related activities at
the centers. This interaction will be similar to that of
SP&R activities at state highway agencies. The field
offices will also assist the Research and Special
Programs Administration (RSPA) in the annual onsite
evaluation of the centers. The National Highway
Institute (NHI at FHWA headquarters will provide a
focal point at the national level. NHI will work with
RSPA and the Federal Transit Administration on national
policy and administrative matters.
Highway Construction Costs Increase
The Federal Highway Administration announced in
February that highway construction costs for the fourth
quarter of 1992 increased 7.1 percent. The fourth quar-
ter results raised the FHWA composite bid price index
for highway construction costs to 107 percent of the
1987 base index for which 1987 average costs equal 100
percent.
Increases in the unit prices for portland cement con-
crete, bituminous concrete, structural steel, and structur-
al concrete resulted in the overall increase in the index
for the fourth quarter. There were decreases in the unit
prices for excavation and reinforcing steel.
rn
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993
Page 33
The three-quarter moving composite price index,
which is obtained by combining data for the last three
quarters of 1992, increased 1.6 percent from the previ-
ous three-quarter average.
Trends in highway construction costs are measured
by an index of average contract prices compiled from
reports of state highway contract awards for federal-
aid contracts greater than $500,000. During the transi-
tion after the enactment of the Intermodal Surface
Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 CISTEA), the
index reflects federal-aid contracts on National
Highway System projects and pre-ISTEA federal-aid
contracts exclusive of secondary and off-system pro-
jects.
Requirements for State and Metropolitan
Transportation Plans Proposed
In March, the Department of Transportation issued
proposals to foster greater cooperation among states
and metropolitan areas in developing transportation
plans and programs for enhancing mobility, reducing
traffic congestion, and encouraging the use of mass
transit.
The department’s Notices of Proposed Rulemaking
(NPRM) carry out provisions of the Intermodal
Surface Transportation Act of 1991 that call for a
continuous, comprehensive, and coordinated trans-
portation planning process in each state and metro-
politan area. Public comments on the NPRM were
due 60 days after the publication in the Federal
Register.
The proposed rules stress comprehensive transporta-
tion plans which focus on developing seamless connec-
tions among transportation modes and which consider
more than one mode to serve transportation needs with-
in a given area. Among the subjects that states and met-
ropolitan areas will consider as part of the planning
process are:
¢ The social, economic, energy, and environmental
effects of transportation decisions.
e Ways to preserve existing transportation facilities
and make them more efficient.
e Ways to reduce and prevent traffic congestion,
including reducing single-occupant motor vehicle
travel.
e Ways to expand and enhance mass transit services
and encourage their use.
¢ Methods of enhancing efficient movement of
freight.
¢ The effect of transportation decisions on land use
and development.
e Use of innovative financing methods, such as con-
gestion pricing.
¢ Preservation of the rights-of-way for future trans-
portation projects.
¢ Incorporation of bicycle facilities and pedestrian
walkways where appropriate.
e Access to international border crossings, ports, air-
ports, intermodal facilities, and parks and other
recreational areas.
¢ Development of financial plans that demonstrate
whether the costs of proposed transportation
investments are consistent with expected rev-
enues.
A long-range planning horizon of at least 20 years
would be required for state and metropolitan plans.
DOT and DOD Jointly Review GPS
The Department of Transportation and the
Department of Defense announced on May 27 that the
two departments will conduct a joint review to deter-
mine how to get maximum use of the DOD’s Global
Positioning System (GPS) to satisfy both military and
civilian needs.
GPS is a space-based positioning and navigational sys-
tem that uses a network of Navstar satellites to provide
very precise three-dimensional position and velocity infor-
mation. While the system is designed primarily to meet
military requirements, the federal government wants to
ensure the maximum civilian use consistent with national
security needs. These civil uses are expected to grow and
generate benefits such as increased transportation safety
and efficiency and economic growth.
Actual and projected uses of GPS include the precise
monitoring of transit buses, information enabling city
drivers with special receivers to avoid congested routes
in peak hours, highly accurate navigation for civil avia-
tion, harbor entrance and coastal navigation uses for
ships, and the tracking of land vehicles.
The task force will be jointly chaired by Joseph F.
Canny, deputy assistant secretary of transportation for
policy and international affairs, and Richard G. Howe,
DOD’s director for theater and tactical C3—-command,
control, and communications. It will operate under the
auspices of the DOT Navigation Council and the DOD
Positioning/Navigation Executive Committee. The task
force is expected to complete its work by the end of
1993 and make a report to the two secretaries.
Neglecting Infrastructure Can Kill
Neglecting the nation’s roads, bridges, power distrib-
ution systems, water supplies, and waste water facilities
could kill more Americans than all past 20th century
wars, says civil engineer Dr. Robert L. Lytton, head of
the Center for Infrastructure Engineering in the Texas
Engineering Experiment Station (TEES)—a member of
The Texas A&M University System.
A regimented program is needed to repair and pre-
serve the trillions of dollars invested in our national
infrastructure, according to Lytton. Neglecting our dete-
riorating infrastructure will mean dangerous bridges,
hazardous roads, risky water supplies, and unreliable
electrical and gas distribution systems.
“The physical elements needed to support civilized
living—elements that make it possible for large numbers
to live together in cities—are taken for granted. We all
would be nomads without our infrastructure,” Lytton
said. “I don’t want to be an alarmist, but there is a great
deal riding on maintaining the infrastructure.”
The center is an interdisciplinary group of
researchers studying infrastructure problems including
converting military technology to civilian uses. The
center studies the public and private works that support
habitation and the transportation and occupational
needs of urban society.
The cost of restoring our infrastructure will dwarf the
defense budget. “Right now, the country has a ‘panic
management’ repair policy that is extremely expensive,”
said Lytton; however, careful management, the latest
research, and the right timing could slash the cost of
infrastructure repairs by up to 60 percent.
—Texas Engineering Experiment Station
SS SS Ss SS SSS SSS SSS eS SSS SS SS SSS SSS SSS SSS SS Ss
Page 34
a ——
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER e 1993
Hanging Lake Tunnel in Colorado’s Glenwood Canyon
Glenwood Canyon Tunnel Project Wins ACEC
Award
Parsons Brinkerhoff Quade & Douglas Inc. of San
Jose, Calif., won a Grand Award in the American
Consulting Engineers Council’s 27th annual Engineering
Excellence Awards competition for the design and con-
struction of the Hanging Lake Tunnel, part of Colorado’s
enormous Glenwood Canyon Project.
The tunnel was conceived to meet the multiple
demands of transportation, environment, and access to
one of Colorado’s most popular scenic tourist areas.
The tunnel causes no disruption to the hundreds of
wildlife species present in Glenwood Canyon and the
Colorado River. In addition, it does not intrude upon its
pristine surroundings and is virtually undetectable from
the opposite side of the river.
The entire 12-mile segment of I-70 through the
Glenwood Canyon was described by former FHWA
Administrator Thomas Larson as “a world class piece of
environmentally sensitive engineering” and “a scenic
byway that is one of the wonders of the interstate sys-
tem.” With the completion of the Glenwood Canyon seg-
ment in October 1992, the entire 2,175-mile length of I-70
from Baltimore, Md., to Cove Fort, Utah, is now open.
—American Consulting Engineers Council
Structural Engineers Form New National Council
Twenty state and regional structural engineer associa-
tions recently formed the National Council of Structural
Engineer’s Associations to reduce the difficulty in work-
ing across state lines. At a March 27 organizational
meeting in Denver, officers were elected and bylaws
were adopted. Committees were immediately formed to
address state-to-state variations in registration and
licensing requirements, project peer review and special
inspection requirements, standards of practice, and
coordination of state legislative efforts. The new group
intends to provide a forum to establish a national con-
sensus on multistate issues. The national office for the
council is located at 1015 15th Street N.W., Washington,
D.C. 20005. The telephone and fax numbers are (202)
347-7474 and (202) 898-0068 respectively.
—wNational Council of Structural Engineer’s Associations
California Transportation and Environmental
Agencies Sign Pact
A landmark agreement signed by the California
Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the
Department of Fish and Game regarding the use of asphalt
on state highways will protect the environment while speed-
ing the delivery of needed public works improvements.
The memorandum of. understanding, signed by Caltrans
Chief Engineer Richard P. Weaver and Fish and Game Chief
Deputy Director John Sullivan, establishes a framework to
address environmental and transportation concerns.
The agreement spells out guidelines for using asphalt
chunks, pieces, and grindings in road embankments and
shoulder backing along state highways. In addition, a
joint committee of the two departments has been creat-
ed to review future technical and policy issues involving
transportation projects that could affect the state’s rivers
and streams.
“With this agreement,” said Weaver, “we now have a
vehicle in place to make sure all the various concerns of
both departments are aired and resolved in a manner
that protects the environment while allowing critical
transportation improvements to be completed on sched-
ule and within budget.”
—California Department of Transportation
ee cal
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993
Page 35
PDD LSE DENA ER FE Ee Oe
Pan American Highway Meeting Set for September
in Chile
Access Management Conference Scheduled in
August
The first national conference on access management
for streets and highways will be conducted on August 2,
3, and 4 in Vail, Colorado. Access management is the
strict control of the location, design, and operation of all
driveways and public street connections onto the high-
way. Access management calls for a significant
improvement in access design and spacing standards in
recognition that the lack of access control is the largest
single cumulative design element reducing roadway
safety and capacity. Usually in excess of 50 percent of
all traffic accidents are access related, and access control
can increase capacity by 25 to 35 percent.
The conference, which is jointly sponsored by the
Federal Highway Administration, Transportation
Research Board, and Colorado Department of
Transportation, will feature more than 30 presentations
on subjects such as current issues in access manage-
ment, legal issues, establishing a program, corridor spe-
cific plans, spacing issues, turning movement design and
restrictions, local government approach, and project
implementation.
For more information, contact either:
¢ Jim Scott
TRB, National Research Council
2101 Constitution Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20418
Telephone: (202) 334-2968
e Philip Demosthenes
Colorado DOT
4201 East Arkansas Ave., Rm. 291
Denver, Colo. 80222
Telephone: (303) 757-9844
Fax: (303) 757-9820
SRE SER SS ASR SIRS RR RT RAE A TE A A A eS SEER SA SE RS AE RS SNE ES OE ST SS
Page 36
rr ————C
The Pan American Highway Institute and the Catholic
University of Chile invite highway authorities and
experts in highway and transportation activities to par-
ticipate in the Second PIH Technology Transfer Centers
Annual Meeting in Santiago, Chile, on September 21-25.
The objective of the meeting is to share new technolo-
gies, experiences, and information to contribute to an
efficient and effective technology transfer for better
highway systems. At the meeting, there will be simulta-
neous translations in Spanish and English.
PIH was founded in 1986 to act as a network of road
and transportation organizations for transferring both
innovative and traditional highway technology.
Presently, the network has 30 technology transfer cen-
ters in 13 countries.
For more information, contact Dr. Carlos Videla C.,
Director centro IPC No. 8—Chile, Escuela de Ingenieria,
Pontificia Universidad Catdlica de Chile, Vicuna
Mackenna 4860, Macul, Casilla 306, Santiago, Chile. His
telephone numbers are (56-2) 5522375 or 5522372
Extensions 4245 or 4573. The fax numbers are (56-2)
5524054 or 5531000.
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993
]
|
NCP Category A—Highway Safety
A.6: Highway Safety Design Practices and Criteria
Title: Computer Simulation Using DYNA3D
Objective: The objectives of this study are: (1) to
perform computer simulations of vehicle crashes into
fixed roadside objects, with emphasis on side impact,
using the non-linear finite element (FE) code package
INGRID/DYNA3D/TAURUS; (2) to provide training and
assistance on the use of the FE code package
INGRID/DYNA3D/TAURUS and associated computing
hardware; and (3) to assess and provide recommenda-
tions to FHWA/HSR-20 regarding division computer sim-
ulation goals, objectives, actions, and contractor/sub-
contractor computer simulation related actions and
deliverables.
Performing Organization: Momentum Engineering
Sponsoring Organization: FHWA
Expected Completion Date: August 1993
Estimated Cost: $24,997
NCP Category D—Structures
D.1: Bridge Design
Title: Innovative Bridge Designs Using Enhanced
Performance Steel
Objective: This research is being conducted to
develop innovative bridge designs to take advantage of
the new high performance steel and concrete that will
soon be available. These materials cannot be effectively
used in present day designs. These new materials have
the potential to make significant improvements in cost
and service life of highway bridge structures.
Performing Organization: Modjeski and Masters, Inc.
Sponsoring Organization: FHWA
Expected Completion Date: March 1995
Estimated Cost: $600,000
NCP Category E—Materials and Operations
E.6: Snow and Ice Control
Title: Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA) At Lower
Production Cost
Objective: To develop a cost-effective method that can be
commercialized by industry to produce CMA from biomass.
Performing Organization: Engineering Resources, Inc.
Sponsoring Organization: FHWA
Expected Completion Date: May 1994
Estimated Cost: $271,616
RECENT PUBLICATIONS i
Development Of An Upgrading Plan For Highway
Safety Simulation Models, Volume I: Final Report,
Publication No. FHWA-RD-92-077
by Design Concepts Research Division
A study was performed to develop a long-range
upgrading plan for FHWA’s crash simulation activity.
The four major work items consisted of the following:
(a) A review was made of available general purpose finite
element programs which were considered to be possi-
bly able to simulate vehicle/barrier crash events. One
of the programs was recommended to be the subject
of a preliminary study designed to examine the feasi-
bility of using this class of programs to simulate the
crash problems of interest to the FHWA.
(b) A review was conducted of various existing FHWA
computer programs for the analysis of vehicle
impact and vehicle handling problems.
(c) An outline was developed for the structure of a
Roadside Safety Analysis System (RSAS) which
would essentially be a repository of vehicle crash
and handling programs and associated data. Also, a
user interface was designed for this system to pro-
vide a common interaction vehicle with which to
allow convenient access to the simulation program
and to control the generation, manipulation and
review of associated input/output files and data
base information.
(d) A long-range plan for the further development and
maintenance of crash simulation software for the
ne
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993
Page 37
FHWA and the development and support of an
RSAS was outlined.
This is volume I of a two-volume set. The other
volume is FHWA-RD-92-078, Volume II: Executive
Summary.
This publication may be purchased from the NTIS.
(PB No. 93-167575, price code: A06.)
Proceedings of the Bridge Scour Symposium,
Publication No. FHWA-RD-90-035
by Bridge Scour Symposium co-chairmen
These proceedings contain all 21 papers and seven
summaries of discussions on research needs present-
ed at the Bridge Scour Symposium held at the Turner-
Fairbank Highway Research Center of the FHWA on
October 17 to 19, 1989. The symposium consisted of
six sessions On various aspects of this critical prob-
lem: scour prediction, scour monitoring, scour model-
ing, scour protection, special problems, knowledge
gaps, and research needs.
This publication may be purchased from the NTIS.
(PB No. 93-167369, price code: A17.)
Environmentally Acceptable Materials for the
Corrosion Protection of Steel Bridges: Task C,
Laboratory Evaluation, Publication No. FHWA-RD-
91-060
by Materials Division
The recently promulgated environmental regula-
tions concerning volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
and certain hazardous heavy metals have had a large
impact on the bridge painting industry. As a response
to these regulations, many of the major coating manu-
facturers have begun to offer “environmentally
acceptable” alternative coating systems to replace
those traditionally used on bridge structures. In the
interest of determining the relative corrosion control
performance of these newly available coating systems,
the FHWA contracted for a seven-year study.
As a precursor to long-term, natural exposure test-
ing of various environmentally acceptable coating sys-
tems, a battery of accelerated laboratory screening
tests were performed. These tests included 13 high
solids or waterborne, conventionally applied coatings;
14 powder coating or metallized coatings; and seven
high VOC control coatings. These systems were test-
ed in a cyclic salt fog/natural marine exposure, a
cyclic brine immersion/natural marine exposure.
Adhesion and water penetration tests were also per-
formed on each system. The results of these various
test were used to develop a matrix of test coatings to
be used in the follow-on, long-term natural exposure
testing.
In the accelerated laboratory screening tests, sever-
al of the low VOC coating systems performed as well
or better than the high VOC controls. In general, the
low VOC zinc-based systems (both inorganic and
organic zinc) and the epoxymastic-type systems per-
formed the best in the accelerated tests. These types
of systems were included in the long-term exposure
test matrix.
This publication may be purchased from the NTIS.
(PB No. 93-175099, price code: A006.)
Stability of Rock Riprap for Protection at the Toe of
Abutments located at the Floodplain, Publication
No. FHWA-RD-91-057
by Structures Division
This report presents the results of a research conduct-
ed in a hydraulic flume to determine the stability of rock
riprap protecting abutments located on flood plains.
The observed vulnerable zone for rock riprap failure is
presented for two abutment types: vertical wall and
spill-through (H:V = 2:1).
Equations and velocity multipliers to assist an engi-
neer in determining the stable rock riprap size are pre-
sented in this report for the two abutment types.
Conditions found to influence the stability of rock riprap
are also presented.
The results obtained in this research report have been
published in FHWA Publication HEC No. 18, “Evaluating
Scour at Bridges,” dated February 1991.
This publication may be purchased from the NTIS.
(PB No. 93-174639, price code: A060.)
The Simulation of Vehicle Dynamic Effects On Road
Pavements, Publication No. FHWA-RD-92-108
by Pavements Division
The effect of traffic loads on pavement performance
is a fundamental concern of highway engineering. The
mechanisms by which moving loads interact with pave-
ments take on an added significance today, with the
growing concern to preserve our nation’s infrastructure.
This research develops a methodology to investigate
the accelerating process by which variations in pave-
ment condition and vehicle loads reinforce each other
through time and that leads to significant pavement
deterioration.
Heavy truck dynamic modeling fundamentals were
developed and used to simulate a broad variety of truck
configurations and suspension types. In addition, pave-
ment models for both flexible and rigid pavements were
described and used in connection with the truck dynam-
ic models to parametrically study the interaction
between vehicle suspensions, highway roughness, and
pavement primary and ultimate response.
These parametric studies show that consideration of
dynamic loading is necessary and that there is consider-
able variation of dynamic loads produced by alternative
tandem axle configurations.
This publication may be purchased from the NTIS.
(PB No. 93-175396, price code: A13.)
Cost-Effective Geometric Improvements for Safety
Upgrading of Horizontal Curves, Publication No.
FHWA-RD-92-021
by Design Concepts Research Division
The purpose of this study was to determine the hori-
zontal curve features that affect safety and traffic opera-
tions and to quantify the effects on accidents of various
curve-related improvements. The primary data base
developed and analyzed consisted of 10,900 horizontal
curves in Washington state. Three existing federal data
bases on curves were also analyzed. These data bases
included the cross-section data base of nearly 5,000 mi
(8,050 km) of roadway from seven states, a surrogate
data base of vehicle operations on 78 curves in New
Page 38
a ———Ci
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER e 1993
EAE SRE EE ET AE SF IS ET LID ET A BE ES COTTE BALTES EERE ee
York state, and 3,277 curve segments from four states.
Based on statistical analyses and model development,
variables found to have a significant effect on accidents
include degree of curve, roadway width, curve length,
average daily traffic, presence of a spiral, superelevation,
and roadside condition. Curve flattening is expected to
reduce accidents by up to 80 percent, depending on the
amount of flattening. Widening lanes or shoulders on
curves can reduce curve accidents by as much as 33
percent, while adding spiral transitions on curves was
associated with a 5-percent accident reduction.
Improving deficient superelevation can reduce accidents
by 10 percent or more, while the effects of specific
roadside improvements were also quantified. An eco-
nomic analysis was conducted to determine when curve
flattening and/or widening are cost-effective.
An informational guide entitled “Safety Improvements
on Horizontal Curves for Two-Lane Roads” (FHWA-RD-90-
074) was developed in conjunction with this report to give
specific guidance for the design of new curves and for
upgrading existing curves.
This publication may be purchased from the NTIS. (PB
No. 93-160679, price code: A11.)
Research and Development Achievements Report—
1992, Publication No. FHWA-RD-93-019
by the Office of Research and Development
Operations and Support
This report is the 16th in a series of annual achieve-
ments reports of the FHWA’s Office of the Associate
Administrator for Research and Development. The
report covers the period from October 1991 to
September 1992. It includes information about R&D
mission, organization, budget, staff, and facilities; efforts
to foster innovation and collaborate with other U.S.
agencies and international organizations; research high-
lights; and National Highway Institute activities.
Limited copies of this publication are available from
the R&T Report Center.
Nationally Coordinated Program of Highway
Research, Development, and Technology: Annual
Progress Report Fiscal Year 1992, Publication No.
FHWA-RD-92-094
by the Office of Research and Development
Operations and Support
This progress report gives an overview of research
being conducted under the Nationally Coordinated
Program of Highway Research, Development, and
Technology (RD&T) from October 1, 1991, through
September 30, 1992. The NCP is organized into cate-
gories, programs, and projects; the NCP categories cov-
ered in this 1992 report are: A. Highway Safety, B.
Traffic Operations/Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems,
C. Pavements, D. Structures, E. Materials and
Operations, F. Policy, G. Motor Carrier Transportation, J.
Planning, K. Environment, and L. Right of Way. New to
the NCP this year is the Office of Advanced Research,
which will plan, administer, and conduct research and
innovative adaption for emerging and advanced tech-
nologies that have potential for long-range applications
in the highway program. The report highlights the high
priority areas to show the research emphasis areas of
the NCP.
Limited copies of this publication are available from
the R&T Report Center.
TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993
Soil and Base Stabilization and Associated Drainage
Considerations—Volume I, Pavement Design and
Construction Considerations, Publication No.
FHWA-SA-93-004; and Volume II, Mixture Design
Considerations, Publication No. FHWA-SA-93-005
by Office of Technology Applications
This report consists of two volumes: Volume I,
Pavement Design and Construction Considerations, and
Volume II, Mixture Design Considerations. These two
volumes represent the revisions to the original manuals
prepared in 1979. These manuals include new informa-
tion and procedures incorporated into the pavement
field since that time. A significant portion of the infor-
mation prepared for the original manuals has been
retained. The primary purpose of these manuals is to
provide background information for those engineers
responsible for using soil stabilization as an integral part
of a pavement structure. Information is included to
assist the engineer in evaluating the drainage problems
of a pavement structure. Sufficient information is includ-
ed to allow the pavement design engineer to determine
layer thicknesses of stabilized layers for a pavement
using the 1989 American Association of State Highway
and Transportation Officials Guide procedures. Material
properties are presented with the use of this design pro-
cedure, which the materials engineer will find useful in
Page 39
selecting the type and amount of a stabilizer to use with
specific soil types. Construction details are presented
with elements of quality control and specifications. The
manuals are presented to allow an engineer to recom-
mend where, when, and how soil stabilization should
be used and to assist the engineer in evaluating prob-
lems which may occur on current stabilization projects.
This volume presents the specific details of laboratory
testing for the different stabilizer additives. Typical
properties are given and the test procedures to select
optimum amounts are presented. These chapters pro-
vide the engineer with detailed information required
from the laboratory to ensure the necessary material
properties are obtained in the paving project. Volume I
presents the details of drainage and pavement design
and construction considerations for stabilization of pave-
ment materials.
Limited copies of these publications are available
from the R&T Report Center.
Moving America Through Innovative Technology,
Publication No. FHWA-SA-92-038
by Office of Technology Applications
This brochure briefly describes the FHWA
Technology Applications Program, providing informa-
tion on the elements within the program and some
examples of technology applications in action. The
brochure also includes a telephone directory of FHWA
field offices, through which readers may follow up on
technology applications activities.
Limited copies of this publication are available from
the R&T Report Center.
State and Local Highway Training and Technology
Resources—January 1993, Publication No. FHWA-
SA-93-023
by the Office of Technology Applications
Originally published by the Local Technical
Assistance Program Clearinghouse managed by the
American Public Works Association, this publication lists
technology assistance products useful to the state and
local highway community. Included in the publication
are entries about videotapes, slide packages, publica-
tions, training packages, and other material. In general,
this material originated in the technology transfer cen-
ters nationwide. The source for the products is cited in
each entry.
Limited copies of this publication are available from
the R&T Report Center.
Guidelines for Design, Specification, and
Contracting of Geosynthetic Mechanically
Stabilized Earth Slopes on Firm Foundations,
Publication No. FHWA-SA-93-025
by the Office of Technology Applications
This report provides comprehensive guidelines for
design, specification, and contracting of mechanically
stabilized earth slopes. These guidelines were devel-
oped for use by transportation agencies. Both a materi-
al specification and a systems specification approach are
addressed. A material specification approach is suited
for in-house design by an agency, and the systems spec-
ification approach is suited to a “line and grade”
process, similar to that widely used with MSE wall struc-
tures.
Slopes on firm foundations are specifically addressed,
and embankments over soft soils are not covered. Use
of geosynthetic reinforcement is included in this docu-
ment, with geogrids and geotextiles specifically
addressed. These guidelines are primarily based upon
existing FHWA reports on soil reinforcement. Specific
reports and guidelines are cited in the text and listed as
references.
This document was prepared under the sole sponsor-
ship of the Geotextile Division of the Industrial Fabrics
Association International ([AFI) for presentation to
FHWA. FHWA published this document in partnership
with IAFI.
Limited copies of this publication are available from
the R&T Report Center.
Page 40
ee
PUBLIC ROADS ¢ SUMMER « 1993
INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS
Background
As you can tell from this issue—the debut of the
new Public Roads—this magazine is evolving from a
technical journal to a first-rate, color magazine. See the
story on page 1 for an explanation of the Public Roads
evolution.
Public Roads is soliciting articles and input in the
form of feature articles, technical articles, information
for the “Along the Road” department, reader feedback,
and suggestions concerning story ideas to be devel-
oped. Feature articles should deal with surface trans-
portation issues and topics in the following general
categories: significant technological advancements
and innovations, important
activities and achievements,
specific program areas, and
general interest subjects. An
example of feature article
format is the story on page
16, “H-3: The Island
Interstate.” Technical arti-
cles should describe techni-
cal issues/developments or
new research that makes a
significant contribution to
the body of knowledge.
Examples of technical article
formats are the stories about
the New Mexico Alliance for
Transportation and side
impacts on pages 22 and 28,
respectively.
Before you spend a great
deal of time developing and
writing an article, call or
write the editor to discuss
the concept and scope of
the article. You can call edi-
tor Bob Bryant at (703) 285-
2443 or managing editor Pawel eS
Anne Barsanti at (703) 285-
2102. The address is provid-
ed below.
The new Public Roads attempts to communicate
through a balance of text and visual elements—pho-
tographs, charts, graphs, and other illustrations. An
appropriate number of high quality photographs and/or
illustrations with proper captions is an indispensable
part of an article. Lack of photographs or other visual
elements in sufficient quantity or quality may be ratio-
nale for rejecting an article.
All manuscripts submitted for publication in
Public Roads are reviewed by experts in the profes-
sional field to determine the suitability of the article
for the magazine. Authors are notified of accep-
tance or rejection.
Authors should review this and future issues of the
new Public Roads for style and use of illustrations
and references. Public Roads follows the Associated
Press Stylebook and Libel Manual with a few minor
exceptions.
Alliance for Transportation Research
This is the ATR logo
the completion of the Eise
i Highway System
Manuscript Elements A complete manuscript
consists of: title page, text, references (if appropri-
ate), author(s) biography, and supporting visual ele-
ments. Only complete manuscripts will be consid-
ered for publication.
i
A New Approach To
Public-Private Cooperation
In Transportation Research
by Daniel S. Metzger
Manuscript Specifications
Provide a hard copy and a copy on 3.5-inch comput-
er disk using WordPerfect.
Type the manuscript using double-line spacing with
at least 25-mm (1-in) margins on 216- by 279-mm (8.5-
by 11-in) paper. Excluding visual elements, one maga-
zine page equals about three pages of manuscript.
Measurements should be expressed in metric units
followed immediately, when appropriate, by English
units in parentheses. For figures and tables, the English
equivalent units are placed in the legend.
If the article has been previously published or pre-
sented publicly, provide the following information on
the title page: the publication
or forum in which the infor-
mation has been presented,
the audience (approximate cir-
culation/size and general
make-up), and the date of
publication/presentation.
Follow the appropriate fea-
ture or technical format as
explained in background
information above.
Number each page in the
lower right corner.
Avoid trademarks and brand
names in the text unless it is
directly related to the object of
the article. The magazine nei-
ther endorses nor wants to
appear to be endorsing specific
products or manufacturers.
Provide a list of all pho-
tographs, tables, figures, and
other illustrations with a com-
plete caption for each.
Cite all tables and figures in
the text in the same sequence
as the tables and figures
appear. Do not substantially
repeat in the text information
that is clearly represented in
the table or figure. Place all references and footnotes at
the end of the sentence after the final punctuation.
Follow the reference format used on page 30 of this
issue.
Submit a brief biography of the author(s) with the
manuscript. Include the author's present position and
responsibilities and previous positions relevant to the
subject of the article.
PUBLIC ROADS * SUMMER * 1993
Submission ete .
Submit the complete manuscript/illustration package to:
Editor, Public Roads, HRD-10
Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center
6300 Georgetown Pike
McLean, Va. 22101-2296
U.S.A.
Manuscripts submitted by authors employed by feder-
al, state, or local governmental agencies must include a
letter of transmittal from the author’s supervisor, endors-
ing the publication of the article.
Manuscripts by authors within the Department of
Transportation must be endorsed by the applicable
office director.
U.S. Department
fo) ad Be-terjoreyurlacesel
Federal Highway
Administration
400 Seventh St., S.W.
AZT) et tele copes DR OMAN D So. 0)
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
Ay bye
Sy oe
a
eee
eR
eo
see set
APE
SECOND CLASS MAIL
POSTAGE AND FEES PAID
FEDERAL HIGHWAY
ADMINISTRATION
ISSN NO. 0033-3735
USPS NO. 516-690
a a re
Wena ea ars Aa
he
wid
we
ater
eerste t
Cee ant
ern
ra
‘
petal ee Hiv ee (etewateesheke Rae
esr eifenrstet ict 4 \ i HY we
Tiele sleet ek Care arte hy : u : “ea
er tes, a oa Set ameR ene
Sarbe hs ores UM Oo
itu
Pe Baek,
tee oe
un tie
fap b aban Db
Wbre got de Mebee
i As
i Tese, beh, nat
Tat alg
‘
Raat
Sian a
OAM ira
eanerie
SA hit
Mi aint
1 Ara Vests
atte ed wile
eat bit
‘ ¢ t Tee
Phra Stet foited ‘ : ‘
Pe ae * ; dapeieels
eas ‘ eange :, bette ledd'n ee
i t etre te g's eee
~
ook ‘ “ rare eae a
JSR Se ae Mr w éxQrire: apis
re
Live Music Archive
Librivox Free Audio
Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Internet Arcade
Console Living Room
Open Library
American Libraries
TV News
Understanding 9/11